No Wish to be Alone
by Chocobo Goddess
Summary: Some people said they couldn't find my story, so here it is **REPOSTED** Read and review, please. If you leave your email, I will respond. Also let me know if you want to join the Chocobo Goddess Mailing List! AeriSeph, A/U, *wark*
1. Prologue

The blue lights of the Forgotten City slid along Masamune's flawless blade, his coat fanning out around him as he fell, the wind in his face tearing through his hair. The girl was kneeling, hands clasped in prayer, the girl his "mother" had ordered him to kill. She was dangerous, she was to be feared, she was fatal to their plan, and she had served her purpose. She had already found the Black Materia for him, and she was no longer useful to his cause. He was going to let her friends watch her die, especially the young man who stood before her with love in his Mako blue eyes. He heard Mother chanting _kill her, kill her, yes, my son, yes! _

As he fell, he saw her friend raise his own sword, responding as he himself had to Mother's cries. Then, something happened: Mother's voice was no longer in his mind, it was gone, and his grip changed on Masamune's hilt. Instead of stabbing her in the back, he defended the girl, stopping the boy's wide blade with Masamune in one hand even as his other arm went about her waist. He crushed her small form to him, leaping back in the same motion and across the staggered platforms to the other side of the room. The cries of her shocked friends pursuing him and going to the other boy's aid followed him out of the place even as he disappeared out through the roof and into the darkness.

*****

The girl fainted somewhere along the way. He ran with her for hours, sheathing Masamune single-handedly and shifting her to carry her in both arms, all without breaking stride. He had to be sure her friends wouldn't foolishly try to get her back from him right now, especially now that he knew Mother had been able to control the boy as well. Somehow he knew that she was safest with him until she was awake and could travel on her own. She could make her own decisions then.  
He stopped running when he was miles away from the City. He walked for a long while in the forest until he found a suitable place to rest. He gently placed her on a bed of moss, under a low-hanging tree. She would wake soon, and he had to make a fire, and plan.

_*****_

_Warm...I'm warm now, _was her first thought when she opened her eyes. What a strange dream. She could swear she'd actually seen her friend raise his sword against her. _Why is it so warm in the City?_ There had been the solid metallic clang when his sword descended. Then she had been caught up by a strong arm and pinned against an unyielding body that smelled pleasantly of leather...great speed, crossing over mountains faster than anyone could actually run, smooth speed, carried in the arms of..._Him._

Her eyes snapped open and she sat up suddenly. She was lying in front of a small magefire, her legs covered by a rough woolen blanket. She stared into the flames for a moment, trying to reconcile the facts in her mind. She was no longer in the City of the Ancients. She had been attacked by a man she trusted implicitly, then rescued by her dire enemy! It hadn't been a dream...

"How are you?" A deep, cultured voice spoke from the shadows. A tall form seemed to materialize before her in the firelight, black boots, black pants, black gloves, black leather coat, white pauldrons, pale face, shining silver hair...Eyes widening as she looked up, up, up, she met the glow of his own Mako green ones and felt her world wrench away and spin out of control. The last thing her battered mind registered before the blackness hit her was the image of him kneeling down beside her to catch her, concern in his eyes.


	2. Failures

The Planet sang to her. _Sweet child, it said, sweet loving child, lonely still, yes?_

_Yes, _she said, _lonely still._

_So brave, so lovely, so lonely..._

_Yes, lonely..._

It was the tears that woke her this time, hopeless, angry, frustrated tears. She was so heartily sick of failing at every task set before her. She had been praying for Holy...and it had all gone wrong. She had known what her fate was to be, long before she ever left her friends. Then, just when she had been waiting to feel the cold pain of a blade in her back sever her ties to life, the Planet had cried out. _Chaos. Terror. Wrong._ Hands clenched into fists, the tears beginning anew. _It wasn't supposed to be this way! _Her mind screamed. _Why am I still alive? I have failed! _Her friend had become her enemy, and her enemy had—well, that remained to be seen. A sound to her left made her turn her head.

He had been watching her, his own face unreadable. She sat up slowly, wiping her eyes. Forcing her feelings down so he couldn't see her misery, she looked at her hands.

"So...now what happens?"

He seemed startled that she spoke. He looked away. "I don't really know. I was thinking about that just now. Are you hungry?" He offered her a piece of roasted meat on a stick, the remains of some animal hapless enough to cross his path earlier. She took it gingerly, trying to ignore the headache that always followed her tears. The meat looked slightly burnt, but it smelled delicious. Was that...rosemary?? She took a bite, eyes widening in surprise as she glanced up at him.

He shrugged. "I got tired of eating plain food a long time ago. Herbs grow wild everywhere; it's just a matter of knowing which ones aren't poisonous." He handed her a canteen of water. "Drink this. We'll get moving as soon as you're ready."

She stopped mid-chew. Swallowing hurriedly, she said, "What do you mean? Where are we going?" She tried to keep the note of hysteria out of her voice. She couldn't go anywhere with him, could she? What was he planning? Was he abducting her?

"I need to get you as far away from your friends as possible." At her gasp, he looked back at her, brow furrowing. "The blond one was going to kill you."

"And how is that different from your own plans?" She said bitterly. "Wouldn't that have just meant you didn't need to do the job yourself?" The headache was getting stronger.

He stood, brushing the leaves from his legs. "I didn't kill you, though, did I? I saved you from your friend'. Moth—um, Jenova wanted you dead. She's been hammering the thought into my brain since I first laid eyes on you. She seems to think you're a threat to her plans." His expression clearly said that he didn't share that opinion. He also didn't mention that he no longer heard Jenova's voice shrieking her orders at him. He looked disturbed.

"Well, I'm not much of a threat anymore. Something changed back there." She shuddered, waving a hand vaguely in what she thought was the direction of the Forgotten City. "I was supposed to die, give up my life to save the Planet, and you were supposed to kill me. It had been as good as foretold. That's what my role was going to be...a martyr, killed by a feared enemy. I was going to do it!" Her voice grew tight with shame. "I was prepared! I knew all along that I would die when I got to the City, and I couldn't even do that right!" The tears were back now, and she pulled her knees up to her chest, burying her face on her arms. The sobs tore through her, mortification at revealing her weakness to him mixing with shame at not completing her duty. "Why—why did you save me?"

Suddenly, she was grabbed roughly by the shoulders and hauled to her feet. She stood involuntarily, struggling against his vise-like grip on her arms. _So this is what would happen now, _she thought, _I knew all along that this was his plan, he's going to rape me and I don't even care anymore. _Her eyes were closed so tightly that she missed the shared sorrow in his face as he released her shoulders and pulled her into his arms.

For a moment, she froze, thinking she must be wrong somehow, that this couldn't be what it seemed. He was stroking her hair with one hand, hugging her close with the other. He was murmuring something in her ear about it being all right, how he had failed, too...no, that couldn't be right, could it?

The warmth from his body finally started to banish the cold from her own. She sobbed against his chest, fingers curling about the lapels of his coat, clinging to him as though she were drowning. After a while, she relaxed against him, sniffling, just letting him hold her for the moment. What did it matter that he was her enemy? He was the first person in ages who had tried to comfort her, and not the other way around. She sighed, resting her head on his chest and putting her arms around him, too.  
They stood there for a long time, not saying anything, as the leaves fell around them. He kept stroking her hair, weaving his fingers through the ends. Finally her senses returned. _What am I doing?_ She pulled back slowly, blushing. "I—I'm sorry about all that. I guess I just needed...well, ah, sorry."

His arms dropped to his sides and he turned slightly away, looking over his shoulder toward the City. "Don't mention it." He would probably never admit it, but his heart had twisted at the sight of the tracks of her tears glittering on her cheeks and disappearing into her hair. He seemed to give himself a little mental shake and crouched beside the fire, warming his hands. His face was troubled. When he had held her, it was as though he heard a million familiar voices in his mind telling him that what he was doing was right. It _had_ felt right, somehow, and he wondered if he was going mad again.

She knelt a few feet away, rubbing her arms and hoping the fire would restore some of the warmth she'd lost when they stepped apart. She Heard the Planet, closing her eyes at the sense of comfort it was sending her. It had asked her earlier if she was still lonely...it was rare for the Planet to ask her questions. Usually, it told her how it felt, and that was that.

"Are you ready to go?" His voice startled her out of her reverie. At her tentative nod, he stood, offering his hand. "We'll head North. There's a town not too far away; we can stay at the inn and make plans then." He sighed. "Too much has changed for me to make a split-second decision just yet."

Surprised, she asked softly, "What has changed for you?" When he looked at her, the lines of his face hardening into the mask she knew, she blushed in embarrassment. "I apologize, I'm sure it's personal. I wouldn't have shared my problems with you, myself, except I was kind of overwhelmed..."

The mask slipped a bit. "That's not it. I am...still overwhelmed, as well." They both looked startled that he would admit something like that. To cover his reaction, he turned to the fire and briskly waved his hand. The flame flared up for a moment, then went out with one last puff of smoke.

_So, the great General isn't as invincible as he'd like everyone to believe,_ she thought, _He's as unsettled as I am. _Somehow, the thought was comforting.

*****

They traveled in silence for several hours. Both were pondering the events that had led them to this unforeseen situation. Neither one realized how closely their thoughts mirrored each other.

_What happened in the city? _He thought, _Why did Jenova's presence disappear? It was as though something cut her off in midsentence...One moment she was urging me to kill the girl, the next, I swear I was being instructed to save her. It was a different voice, one I've never heard before, but it seemed familiar somehow._ He stole a glance at the solemn girl walking beside him. _And what is she thinking? She knows who I am, she knows what I was about to do. I remember the fear in her eyes the first time she met me_. For some reason, he felt a pang of regret at that memory. He sighed and shook his head, focusing on the path ahead. He ignored her questioning look and lengthened his stride, pulling ahead.

She, too, was thinking about their circumstances. The Planet was being increasingly vocal about her feelings. She took advantage of their silent travel to commune with it. _My Friend, what is happening?_

_Not right, not right for you to be so alone._

_But I thought that was my fate...Wasn't I supposed to die for you?_

An impression of sheepishness. _Was once. Could not let you do so._

_Why not? I was ready..._

_If you gone...no one left to talk to. No one left to Listen._

She reflected upon that idea for a moment. _You are lonely, too, aren't you?_

A feeling of affirmative, a swell of soft, sad music.

_But what can I do? What will you do when I die? It will still happen someday._

_Talk to your children then. Their children._

She stopped walking. _My children?!_ She didn't notice that her companion had stopped, and was now looking at her strangely. _My children?_

The Planet hummed quietly. She stood in shock at its words. Her children? And who was supposed to be the father? Her blond friend, though she knew he loved her, belonged with the brunette fighter, even if he wasn't aware of it yet. She didn't even know anyone else she could consider.

A light touch on her arm brought her back to her surroundings. She opened her eyes, startled, and found her field of vision filled by his pale face, framed by his silver hair. The Planet hummed louder, and she felt happiness coming from it in waves.

_Him?!_

She gasped, taking a step back. He followed her, brow furrowing. She was stopped by a tree.

"Are you all right? You looked like you were going to faint."

"I—I'm fine. The Planet...was talking to me. I didn't mean to worry you." She brought a hand up to her heart, hoping he didn't hear it beating. "I was startled."

The green Mako eyes flared a bit, narrowing. "I see." His hand moved away from her arm, and she shivered in the sudden cold as he withdrew. "Do you think you can make it to the next village?"

She nodded, not meeting his eyes.

"Good. It's not much further, and we will be able to stay at the inn long enough to gather supplies. I have an idea of where to go for a while. I need to think about all this before making any long-term plans."

"What kind of long-term plans are you thinking about?" She asked, curious. She trotted after him to keep up as he strode off down the path.

He glanced over his shoulder at her. "I need to think about what to do now, where to go. And what to do with you." She stopped in her tracks again. He wondered why she looked like a frightened rabbit when he said that, then remembered that he had been ready to kill her barely a day before. He hesitated and turned. "I'm just trying to figure out what happened back there. Please work with me on this. I don't want to hurt you anymore...yes, I know I have in the past, but I really need you to believe me now. Will you at least give us both a chance to rest and recover?"

She was silent for a moment, then, "Yes."

"Good." He nodded, satisfied, and offered his hand. "Come on, I'll help you."

Tentatively, shyly, she took his hand. He helped her up over a series of roots in their way. They continued on, again not talking, and when they were back on the smooth path, he still held her hand. Though she never complained, he could tell when she began having a hard time keeping up with him. He wordlessly swept her up and carried her in his arms like a child. She was too tired to protest, so she just rested her head against his chest, enjoying the gentle rocking motion of his walk and the soft scent of leather from his coat.

_She weighs less than nothing, he thought._

She slept the rest of the way to the village.  
  



	3. The Inn

The inn wasn't busy, but it wasn't empty, either. As they approached, he shifted her carefully, hoping not to wake her. She had curled closer to him as they went, and he was loath to lose her warmth. It was oddly comforting to have her in his arms like this. He ducked his head under the low door and walked up to the counter, pointedly ignoring the stares he received.

The girl in his arms murmured something in her sleep.

"I need a room," he said to the frightened innkeeper. "Now. Preferably your nicest one."

"Y—yes, sir," the keeper stuttered, "Right this way."

They were shown to a comfortable room upstairs, with a soft-looking bed against the wall, a chair, and a fire burning in the hearth. He dismissed the innkeeper with instructions for a hot meal to be delivered as soon as possible, then set her down on the bed. He was about to straighten when she stirred and half-woke. His breath caught at her expression.

Her eyes were dark green, half-open, and her cheeks were rosy. She smiled up at him dreamily as he leaned over her, raising her hands to cup his face. He remained very still as one hand traced the silver line of his brow, the other brushing his lips. "Thank you," she whispered, and her hands dropped to rest on her stomach, her eyes closing once more in sleep. He stayed, watching her for any signs of realizing what she'd done, and finding none, he smiled bemusedly.

A knock at the door announced the tray of food he'd ordered. Once he had shooed the inkeeper away, he ate his fill and settled into the overstuffed chair to sleep.

The sky had lightened by the time she woke. Normally an early riser who liked to get things done first thing in the morning, today she was unwilling to leave the bed. She snuggled deeper into the feather mattress and drew the quilt tighter around her. _Funny, I don't remember going to bed..._

That thought made her sit bolt upright. Hair disheveled, ribbon askew, she looked about the room for her companion. He was sprawled in a large chair by the dying fire. His long legs were stretched in front of him, crossed at the ankles, his head propped up on one hand. The other was draped across his lap, a book dangling from his fingers. She hopped out of bed, landing silently on her feet. She padded over to him, knelt beside the chair, and peered up at him.

_He certainly doesn't look evil when he's asleep, _she thought, folding her hands on the arm of the chair and resting her chin on them. _He really is handsome. I always hated the idea that someone so beautiful could be so terrible. _She felt a mental "tug" that meant the Planet was talking to her, and she closed her eyes to concentrate. It was always harder to Listen when she wasn't in direct contact with the earth.

_Safe here. For both of you._

_Why, is he in danger, too?_

_Always. Always. He must stay with you to be safe._

_I don't understand..._

_You will. Ask him. _The music sounded like a chuckle behind the words. _Cannot tell you everything, child. Must do some things on your own._

_You know, dear Friend, sometimes you're too cryptic. _She couldn't help but smile, though. She knew there were rules of Nature that even the Planet needed to follow. She had the sneaking suspicion that it had already "bent" a rule or two to make her enemy into her friend.

"What's so funny?" His voice rumbled, and she jumped. She blushed furiously when she saw him watching her, one corner of his mouth quirked upward.

"N-nothing," she jumped to her feet and backed over to the bed. She hit it unexpectedly and sat down with a yelp. At his low laugh, she hung her head, hands clenched at her knees. _Great, now I've been caught staring at him. He probably thinks I was mooning over him or something. _She tried not to listen to the little voice at the back of her mind that said,_ well, wasn't that what you were doing?_

"Are you feeling better?" She heard him stand and stretch.

"Yes, I think I just needed to sleep." She looked up at him. He seemed impossibly tall in the small room. "I am sorry for being such a burden."

He looked at her in surprise. "You are no burden. Indeed, I seem to recall hardened soldiers that gave out under less pressure." He motioned toward the tray the innkeeper had brought the night before. "There's some excellent beef stew in there, as well as half a loaf of bread. I'll go get us something warm to drink, if you like."

She nodded, grateful for the chance to be alone for a moment. "Do they have tea? That would be lovely." He smiled.

"I'll see what I can do. You can finish whatever is left now, I'll get more in a while from the innkeep." With that, he stepped out the door, closing it carefully behind him. She waited until she heard his footsteps fading, then went to the washbasin to clean up. Stripping to the waist, she used a linen cloth to remove some of the grime of the road. It felt so good to be clean! A sound outside the door caused her to dress again quickly before he came back with their tea. Just as the last button was done, she heard his steps in the hallway, coming back. She found a small comb and started to work through the tangles in her hair. He knocked twice.

"Is it safe?"

She opened the door for him, and he nearly dropped the small tray, hot water and all. She had been working on her hair, he saw. It fell in soft waves to below her hips, the ends just brushing her outer thighs. He normally didn't pay attention to women's hair, but hers just begged to be touched. He remembered running his fingers through it earlier, when she had cried against him.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, looking up at him uncertainly. He realized that he was still standing in the doorframe with the tray, staring. When he nodded and forced a slight smile to his lips, she relaxed a bit and took the tray from him. Setting it down by the hearth, she opened the canister of tea and prepared two mugs. He closed the door carefully, trying not to look at the curtain of chestnut hair that flowed over her shoulders and arms as she worked. How would it feel to bury his hands in it? It looked like silk; he wondered if it always smelled of flowers.

She straightened, handing him one of the mugs. "Here, let it steep for a moment. Thank you for getting this. Somehow, a cup of tea always manages to be the most comforting thing." She finished the leftover stew, then sat on the bed, comb in hand. He made himself comfortable in the chair and watched her work through some of the knots from traveling. When she was having a particularly difficult time with one, he intervened. Ignoring her protests, he plucked the comb from her fingers and sat beside her, instructing her to turn away from him.

"Hold still. How did you manage to get it this bad?" He carefully began loosening individual strands.

"I can do it, really," she insisted. "I'm used to it."

He snorted. "We have quite a bit of traveling ahead of us, my dear. We don't have time to wait for you to fix your hair. If I didn't like the colour so much, I'd have you get it all cut off." As soon as the words were out, he nearly bit his tongue. Now where did that come from?

She, too, fell silent, thinking about what he had just said. He liked the colour of her hair? She didn't know whether to be flattered or worried. She felt the blush creeping over her cheeks again. _Oh, I hope he doesn't notice how red I am now! What would he think of me?_

That small voice in the back of her mind said, _Why does it matter what he thinks of me?_

He smiled at the way her ears reddened. _At least she hasn't slapped me or something._ Deftly, his fingers separated the fragile strands of her hair. He ran the comb through it a few more times, stopping once or twice to pull more of it back so he could comb all of it. She shivered when his touch brushed her temples and the back of her neck. Once that was done, he separated the whole thing into four parts and began weaving it into a complex braid.

She closed her eyes as he worked. It felt—strange, to have someone else's hands working on her hair. It was definitely pleasant, and his hands were surprisingly gentle. She could feel him braiding it for her. His hands brushed her back as he worked, flipping the sections over and around each other, until he reached her waist. He paused, then leaned forward. So close to her ear she felt his breath with each word, he said softly, "Hand me your ribbon."

She stopped breathing. Such a small, ordinary thing to say, but suddenly the whole act of letting him so close, letting him touch her hair, seemedintimate. Hands shaking, she gave him the long piece of grosgrain over her shoulder. He took it, hesitating for the barest of moments, slowly drawing the ends out of her grasp. She felt it trail down her back, and then he was tying it tightly about the end of the braid. She tried to sit without touching him, but all she really wanted to do right then was lean back against his chest and feel his warm breath on her neck again.

He watched her swaying, could almost see the battle raging in her mind. When the bow was done, he gave in to the temptation of touching her hair one more time. He closed his hand about the base of the braid, gently tugging on the long spiraling column. She didn't resist, as she gave in to her body's demands, a slight "oh" escaping her lips. That was all he needed.

His left hand tunneled under the braid, until his fingers were trapped by her hair against her head. He turned her face upward to his, pulling her into his lap with his right arm around her waist. Her hands grabbed at his arm as his mouth met hers in a searing kiss. She couldn't resist, nor did she even want to. She had been kissed before, but never like this, and never by this man. He ran his tongue over her lips, demanding entry, and she opened her mouth to him. He tasted her thoroughly, coaxing, encouraging her response, until she began nibbling on his bottom lip as well. He felt, rather than heard, her moan, and he tilted her head further back, exposing her white throat. He placed a line of fiery kisses along her jaw, under her ear, and over her neck. She was threading her hands through his hair now, urging his mouth back up to hers. He obliged, whispering, "I need you," just before he captured her lips again.

The music in her head rose and fell madly. The Planet sent a whirl of colours into her mind, impressions of passion reds and yellows. His kisses were intoxicating, addictive. She wanted more.

_Good, good, good,_ the Planet sang, _Right. This is right._

A sharp knock at the door brought them slamming back into reality. They stared at each other, dazed. Both jumped when the knock sounded again.

"Hello? Umm, sorry to interrupt, but the door wasn't closed all the way," They looked over at the door to see the innkeeper. He seemed to be trying to make himself very small. The General fixed him with an icy glare worthy of Shiva.

"What?" He growled, not trying to keep the venom from his voice.

"I—I was coming up to get the tray if you were done with it, and th-the door was open." The poor frightened man yelped at the murderous expression in his guest's fathomless green eyes. "I, um, guess I'll, uh, get it later" A book floated up from the floor and hurled itself at the innkeeper's head. He quickly pulled the door shut just in time to hear several items thud against it. Feeling extremely lucky to be alive, the innkeeper ran down the stairs. He decided to hide in his kitchen until his unnerving guests decided to leave. Let his wife deal with them.


	4. Matters Well In Hand

_I need you. _The words echoed in her mind, repeating themselves over and over again. _I need you. I need you. _Had she actually heard him say that to her? _Oh, gods and Planet both, what was I doing? What was I about to do?! _She closed her eyes, trying to clear her head. She heard him curse under his breath, and then his weight was gone from the bed. She struggled to sit up. It was somewhat difficult, for she still heard the Planet's encouragement, though a whisper now, and her head felt foggy.

_He is the one. Right, right, right. Yes._

_Stop it!_ She sent. _I need to think clearly!_

A soft mental caress, an apology.

_I'm not mad at you, dear Friend. I just need to think about this. _She watched him picking up the items he'd hurled at the door with Apportation. Somehow, she knew he was frustrated and angry, confused, but none of it directed at her. She stood shakily. "Can I help?" It felt strange to talk; her lips were still a bit swollen. They felt like she'd been humming for hours. Her neck ached somewhat in a few spots.

He paused, not looking at her. "No, just get our things. We've got a lot to do."

She pulled on her boots with a small sigh. She bit her lip out of habit, wincing at the soreness. He looked at her then, and they both stood still. She could read his mind so clearly from the expression in his eyes.

Desire. _I need you._ He nearly fell to his knees in front of her, but a lifetime of military discipline and childhood torture had taught him that showing emotions meant showing weakness. Confused by the depth of feeling he had just encountered, he fell back on years of hiding behind an arrogant mask. He grinned coldly at her, the warm smile from earlier replaced by a familiar smirk.

Her face coloured. "Why are you looking at me like that?" She knew she had seen something, but then his eyes had clouded over.

He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. "It's quite obvious that you'd be no challenge whatsoever if I decided to continue our little game later. You want me just as much as I want you, if not more. So it's only a matter of time," he said carelessly.

_How dare he? How dare he make light of this?_ She burned inside with sudden fury. _How can he act like it was nothing special?_ "A matter of time before what?" She asked.

In two strides he crossed the room and pinned her against the wall, one arm on either side of her body, his face dangerously close to hers. "Before you beg me to do that again, sweetheart. Only next time, I won't stop." Her eyes flashed. Unaware of the danger he was in, he added with an evil little smile, "Feel like trying your luck right now?" 

She tore her gaze from his. "You bastard. I nearly thought you actually cared."

*****

The early morning crowd down in the main room of the inn looked up at a loud noise from upstairs. The innkeeper's wife saw one of the doors open, and the two guests who had arrived last night came out. _What a pretty couple! _She thought, _Both of them so striking! Too bad he doesn't appear to be in a very good mood. _She smiled at the lovely young woman with dark green eyes. The girl smiled back, requesting some food for the road. The man was scowling darkly at the back of her head, but she seemed oblivious. For a moment, the innkeeper's wife thought about warning the girl, but when the young man coldly plunked down the gil for their stay, she saw what looked suspiciously like a red handprint on the right side of his face. He seemed to be unconsciously arranging his silver bangs to cover it. She hid her amusement from him, winking at the girl when he looked away. The girl merely curled her lips upward slightly. The older woman suddenly felt much better about the situation.

Yes, indeed, it looked as if the girl had matters—shall we say, well in hand.


	5. The Valley

They had left the village and the inn two days ago. His face was only a bit sore now. He'd finally decided that the best way to deal with her was to act as though nothing had happened. Of course, nothing had happened...right? That thought caused a slight furrowing of his brow. _What did happen? And why am I treating her like this? I didn't want to hurt her. Gods, I am a bastard, aren't I? _He glanced at her surreptitiously. She appeared to be lost in her own thoughts. He looked back at the path.

She had been avoiding his gaze, face flaming every time she thought about his words, and the intense kiss they had shared. That self-assured smirk that told her he knew it was just a matter of time before she gave in. She hated him and was attracted in the same breath. _Damn him anyway, _she thought, _I have more important things to think about. Like the Planet's behavior._ She stole a sideways glance at him. Thankfully, he seemed to have his attention on the road ahead of him. She breathed a sigh of relief, then inwardly cursed when she felt his eyes on her again, questioning. He offered his hand to help her over a scattering of boulders on the mountainside.

"What are you thinking about?" He grinned, knowing very well what it was.

"None of your business," she said peevishly. How did he get under her skin? "Where are we going to rest for the night? You know this area much better than I do."

All right, so he at least knew that, despite her anger at him, she still wanted him.

He heard the fatigue in her voice, though he knew she'd never actually complain. The smirk softened into a real smile. "I want to get us over this ridge. Not far from here, on the other side, there is a stream and a good place to sleep." Once over the boulders, he released her hand. He felt the loss of warmth as her fingertips left his grasp, had to fight the urge to take it back and press it to his cheek. He knew she was angry with him and also knew exactly why. The memory of her taste still lingered on his lips. He tried to keep his mind on the path. He wondered why he couldn't concentrate on anything when she was around.

They topped the ridge, and she let out a little gasp of delight. The ground dropped away steeply from where they stood, revealing a small, hidden valley. The place looked completely untouched; no towns, no Mako reactors, no sign of anything living there but the native animals. A stream wound through the trees, looking like a golden ribbon as the last rays of the sun caught it before disappearing behind one of the mountains.

"I thought you'd like it," he said, his deep voice soft and only inches from her ear. She jumped a little, and swore she could hear him smile at her discomfiture. "Let's head down." He indicated the path to their right and stepped away, motioning for her to precede him. His eyes glowed, narrowed in mirth. She was glad of the semi-darkness, hiding the blush in her cheeks from him. With a very unladylike snort, she stalked past him and began the descent to the floor of the valley. He chuckled and started after her.

They made camp not far from the stream. She couldn't see it from her place by the fire, but she heard its comforting voice, lightly babbling over the smooth stones. She prepared something for them to eat as he set out their bedrolls and hung up their gear. Every night they did this; it was becoming a ritual. Out here, in the cool night air, their feelings for each other weren't important. It was as if they could be friends, so long as they weren't thinking about being lovers. He entertained her with stories about his life with SOLDIER, and she told him about the Planet. Later, they ate the trail rations in companiable silence, drinking the cool water from the stream.

When she was done, she stood, brushing the crumbs from her skirt. "You said there were no monsters in this area, right?"

He nodded. "This place is untouched by ShinRa."

"Good. I'm going to wade in the stream. My feet are killing me." As soon as she said it, she wanted to take the words back. She had been determined not to complain.

He grinned, his teeth flashing white in the dark. "Don't be long. We're going to rest here for tomorrow and tomorrow night, then we'll have a much more difficult path through the mountains." He was certain she didn't realize how pathetically her face fell. She looked for a moment like she was going to cry, then the steel came back to her eyes. He saw the determined set of her jaw and hid his amusement behind a yawn. "Go on, before you get too tired. I'm going to rest for a moment. I'll take the first watch when you get back."

As she walked the short distance to the water, she prayed he hadn't noticed her reaction. For some reason, it was very important to make sure she didn't appear helpless and frail in front of him. _Actually, I know the reason, she thought, It's that before all this happened, everyone went out of their ways to protect me, to keep me safe. No one ever gave me a chance to learn things for myself, or to fight for myself. _She sighed. She had been traveling with him for three days now. The time before that, the events leading up to her failed sacrifice seemed like stories out of an old book of tales. It was like being reborn as an adult, with her memories intact, to live a different path than the one she had chosen before. Besides, despite his sudden unexplained coldness to her, she still saw glimpses of...something in him. She knew he watched her when he thought she was unaware; that twice he had come and crouched by her bedroll as she slept, brushing an errant strand of hair away from her face. He confused her immensely. 

She sat by the water's edge and pulled off her boots, then grabbed the edge of her skirt to keep it dry and waded in. The water was cold, but not numbing; the stones beneath her feet smooth. She stood in the middle of the stream, turned her face upward, and closed her eyes. A smile played across her lips as she Listened, humming softly in tune with the music of the Planet's voice. Peace washed over her. A light breeze played with a tendril of her hair.

An hour later, he found her like that. She had taken long enough that he worried about her, though he knew he could never tell her that. He was walking toward the stream when he saw her. She looked...beautiful. No, more than that, because she always looked beautiful. She was ethereal, her chestnut hair loosed from its braid and flowing down past her hips, her face smiling softly, her body swaying gently as if to some music he could not hear. She looked like she was waiting for a lover.

He whirled away, suddenly breathing hard. He willed his heart to slow its beating, every muscle taut. He thought he had finally broken free of the spell she unknowingly cast upon him when he heard her laugh softly. He looked back over his shoulder to see her, eyes still closed, brushing her hair back over her ear and smiling, presumably at something the Planet said to her. His will crumbled away and he moved toward her, shedding his black leather coat as he went. He strode into the stream, ignoring the shock of the cold water rushing over the tops of his boots. He stopped just inches away from her, waiting for her to look at him. 

She didn't realize how close he was standing. She had heard him drop his coat on the shore and enter the water, but when she opened her eyes, her vision was filled by his own glowing green ones just in front of her. She gasped, and he raised a hand to cup her face. An expression of infinite tenderness crossed his handsome face, easing its normally harsh lines. _To hell with hiding my feelings, _he thought as he lowered his mouth to hers, claiming it in a kiss.

Her first reaction was to pull away, but his hand was at her waist, dragging her closer. The other threaded its way through her hair, tilting her head back and to the side so he could deepen the kiss. Her hands pulled at his arms, halfheartedly protesting, then went around him. His long hair tickled her arms, lifted by a breeze to form a billowing silver curtain around them.

The Planet's voice sang in her mind. _Yes, yes, this is right, _it said, _No longer alone, you will no longer be lonely..._

_But how can this be? _Her mind cried. _Why him?_ Her mind was becoming overwhelmed by his presence, and she felt her resistance fading. _Why..._

Her body answered, _why not?_

He could feel the moment she stopped resisting and began responding. He adjusted his hold on her, arms surrounding her gently instead of trying to prevent her escape. 

Neither of them noticed the faint tendrils of the Lifestream slowly spiraling up around them from the ground. It bathed their skin in its soft green glow and glinted in his hair. The Lifestream thickened, its glow intensifying, responding to the emotions and thoughts of the two people it surrounded. When they opened their eyes, it was swirling in a silent torrent about them, wisps of the stream floating between and around them, caressing their faces and drawing them back to each other.

He found himself picking her up and carrying her to shore, placing her carefully on the soft grass. She brought her hands up to wander over his chest and shoulders, wonderingly, as though she'd never actually touched a man before. He lay beside her, leaning over her on one arm as he stroked her face. He smiled down at the beautiful woman, then lowered his head to nuzzle her neck.

"How did this happen?" he murmured, teeth lightly grazing her ear, "When did we go from being enemies to this?"

She sighed. "I don't know...but the Planet is very happy right now. It seems to think we are following the right path." Her arms circled him, drawing him down to her.

"And do you trust the Planet's judgement?" he asked, smiling. Then, more softly, "What is your judgement?"

"I fell in love with you a long time ago." She tried to ignore the way her heart fluttered when she heard his sharp intake of breath. "I just...well, I never liked the way everyone just assumed you were evil. Maybe the Planet helped me understand? I don't know. But you know what? I was so afraid to go to the City," her eyes widened in memory, her voice dropping to a whisper, "Even as prepared as I was, I was still afraid to die. I didn't want you to kill me."

He pulled back so he could look directly into her eyes. "I'm so sorry. Jenova had me completely under her control. You know now that I will never, ever hurt you?" At her trusting nod, he bowed his head, clenching his eyes tightly. "Love, I need to apologize for something else. My—behavior, since the inn."

Her heart leapt. "Are you going to tell me you didn't mean the words you said that day?"

He kissed her softly. "I have felt so lost since then."

She ran a finger down his face, tilting his chin up to look at her again. "But you are found now. I found you."

Do I deserve this? He thought, disbelieving the forgiveness she had offered him. No matter...I need this. He brushed a wayward strand of hair from her forehead. Her lips were parted just slightly, her eyes half-closed and shining deep green in the light of the Lifestream. He lowered his face to hers and kissed her, vowing in that moment to protect her forever. This time, when her hands urged him down to her, he didn't pull away.

They remained on the grass together for a long time, oblivious to the Lifestream's gentle green glow around them.


	6. Jenova Dream

She woke, alone, to the cheerful babble of the stream and the songs of morning birds. It took a moment for her to get her bearings. She was lying on his coat, which he had somehow managed to spread beneath them. Her hair was somewhat disheveled, and she was still wearing the sleeveless pink dress, but her red jacket had been tossed aside carelessly. She retrieved it from where it lay in a crumpled heap and shook it out, noticing with a grimace that a few buttons on her dress had been undone, and some were actually missing from the jacket as though they'd been torn off. She felt a jolt go through her at the memory of his caresses, the scent of his skin, the comforting pressure of his arms around her...

The sound of something whipping through the air brought her back to her senses. She scrambled to her feet, gathering their coats in her arms. Making her way back to the camp, she smiled wryly at the thought that they hadn't even stayed there. The sounds of his katas grew louder as she approached their neglected bedrolls. She came from behind a flowering bush to find herself face-to-face with the deadly point of Masamune's blade. They both froze for a moment, then the blade was sheathed and he was crossing the distance to her. He looked terrified and his body shook as he pulled her into his arms. She found herself reassuring him, telling him it was all right, she was unharmed.

His face was wet, she realized, and she pulled back a bit to stare in wonder at what she was surely the only living being to ever see. He was crying! It was certainly the only way she ever would imagine him crying. His face didn't redden, his nose didn't run; instead, his Mako eyes filled with crystal clear tears that ran down the smooth planes of his face. His expression was one of pure misery.

"I—I can't believe I almost—," he choked on the words. Her hands went to either side of his face, forcing him to look at her.

"It's all right, I'm fine! You didn't hurt me!" she soothed, "It was an accident. I. Am. All. Right."

He leaned down, touching his forehead to hers. "For a moment, I thought...I remembered what SHE wanted me to do...," His green eyes searched hers, as though trying to find any glimmer of censure in them. "...I can't become that beast again. As I got closer to you, in the Forgotten City, her voice faded in my mind, and I believed...that, somehow, I could be...human, again."

She saw he was about to turn away from her, and she decided to take control of the situation. Standing on her tiptoes, she put her arms about his neck and kissed him. He is surprised, she thought, _Hmmm...my poor brave warrior...I suppose I'll have to watch out for you, too. _She chuckled against his mouth. He broke the kiss long enough to look at her, startled. Then, finally, he, too, grinned.

"I'm acting like a fool, aren't I?" He sighed, letting her wipe the tears away. "Ah, well...just make sure you don't tell anyone about this. I wouldn't want it getting out that I'm just a big baby..."

"Hmmm...now I have something for blackmail—oh!" She gasped as he picked her up and hugged her close. "Um, well, I guess I can keep a secret."

*****

They spent the day relaxing by the stream. He didn't need the break; he could run tirelessly for hours, as he had when he saved her from her friend. However, she was still not used to traveling, and the pace he had made her keep up to this point had been grueling. He sat by the bank of the stream, coat and boots beside him, clad only in his black pants. He watched her now, playing in the stream again. She was an interesting mix of beautiful woman and innocent child. He wondered if she realized the immense potential she had for wielding magic on a very high level. She intrigued him.

Unaware of his measuring gaze, she waded in the stream. She loved the way the water felt as it rushed past her bare legs. Her skirt was caught up above her knees, tied with her bedraggled hair ribbon. She had washed her hair in the stream that morning, and now it hung in a damp, unsecured braid down her back. When she got tired of walking on the stones, she stretched out on a flat rock that made up part of the small rapids. The face of the rock was dry and warm, heated by the sun. In no time at all, she was asleep.

*****

She was wakened by the sound of thunder. The sunny day had turned cloudy, the warm breeze now held a touch of ice. All the colours around her seemed muted, and the birds no longer sang. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and blinking. Confused, she looked over to where he had been sitting earlier in the day, to find him missing. Better get back to the camp, she thought, Maybe he's gone to make sure we don't lose anything to the wind.

The water was now much, much colder than it had been, and she gasped when her feet got wet. She made her way to the bank, dried off her feet and let her skirt back down, then headed down the path to their camp. When she got there, her mouth dropped open in surprise and shock.

The clearing was empty.

He was gone, and had taken everything with him.

She was alone again.

Alone.

The storm broke over the valley.

The first bolt of lightning hit the ground not far from her, galvanizing her into action. She ran back to the water and huddled under the willow tree, soaked to the skin and freezing cold. Her tears mingled with the rain that filtered down through the leaves, landing on her face. She sobbed dejectedly throughout the storm, feeling a sense of loss as acute as though someone she loved had died.

"He couldn't have left me," she made herself say, "He wouldn't have left me alone..."

The Planet was, strangely, silent. Not a whisper, not a hint, not a note of music...just...nothing.

Then she heard a woman's harsh, mocking laughter.

_This is a dream, _she said to herself,_ wake up. Wake Up! WAKE UP!!_

*****

"...wake up! Come on, love, you need to open your eyes!" His hands gripped her shoulders, shaking her gently. His heart skipped a beat as her eyelids fluttered. When she finally looked up at him dazedly, he could have wept again at the joy in her expression. She threw her arms around him and burst into tears.

"It...was...h-horrible!" she cried, burying her face in his neck. "I—I was alone, and you had gone, an-and a storm...and a woman was l-laughing at me!" Oh, he smelled so good, like air, and grass, and leather...and she was warm again.

_A woman, hmm?_ He thought, _My mother', perhaps? _He had believed this place safe from her mental intrusion, but she was apparently growing in power. He sighed, hugging the girl closer to him. "Let's go back to shore," he said, kissing the top of her head and inhaling the scent of her hair.


	7. Chestnut Angel

He was quiet for a long time. It had not occurred to him that she might not be safe from Jenova's influence. _What's your plan, witch? _He wondered, _Whatever it is, know I will be fighting on her side now. _He looked down at the girl who lay within his arms, resting her head on his chest, eyes closed. They were sitting beneath the willow tree. He had picked her up and carried her there as she cried about the terrible nightmare she'd had; she had dreamed that he left her alone. _She understands. She knows what it's like to be the only person like you in the entire world. This weightless, tiny thing possesses more strength than she lets on. _He smiled ruefully, remembering how badly his face had hurt after she hit him. _In more ways than one. I will definitely be more aware next time._

His silent chuckle made her open her eyes. "What is it?" She asked, yawning.

"Just thinking about how nice the weather is." He grinned down at her.

"Riiiiight," she narrowed her eyes at him, "I'm sure that's what you were thinking." After a moment of mock sternness, though, she relented and returned his grin. Moving closer, she put her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. "We have to get moving soon, don't we?"

"Mmhmm." He adjusted his hold on her. "Let's see how you feel in the morning. We can decide then."

"What do we do next, anyway? We can't just travel aimlessly forever." One of her fingers twined with a lock of his hair. "Have you had time to think about that?"

He sighed. "I have some ideas. First, Jenova is my enemy now. We need to prevent her from destroying the world."

"Right, an easy task, I'm sure. What do we do to fill the time between now and then?"

Another chuckle. "Next, we need to find out why the Planet has seen fit to intervene between me and Jenova, and why it had me save you. And how it did that." He looked down at her. "Any thoughts on the matter? You are the one who can speak with the Planet."

She looked uncertain. "Umm, maybe we should finish making our plans, and then I can tell you what I know." How do I tell him that the Planet picked him to father my children? she thought. _Gods, I'd almost be too embarrassed! What do I say?_

_Say the truth, child, _said the Planet. _He will understand in time._

_How much time? And how am I supposed to talk about this? I'm still not even sure about WHAT has to be done, let alone discuss it with this man!_

The Planet sent a small wave of peace. _All will be well. _

He noticed that she was speaking to the Planet, then her face cleared. The blush remained. Smirking slightly, he continued. "More immediately, we need to resupply soon. We have enough to get us to the next town, but staying here too long will use precious resources. And finally," his voice trailed off as he thought.

She prodded him. "Finally what?"

When he turned his gaze down upon her, the cold intensity in his Mako eyes made her shiver involuntarily. "We have to face AVALANCHE." He looked away. "Between that and Jenova," he said softly, "I think Jenova's the easier thing to deal with."

"They're not that bad."

"Remember that they all hate me, and with good reason." Gently extricating himself from her arms, he stood and stretched. "I—I need to think about this for a while. Excuse me." He strode off to the camp to fetch Masamune, his face impassive again.

_Gods and Planet both, I hate it when he looks like that._

_Troubled. Does not know his path. Needs to find it anew._

_What is wrong, dear Friend? I feel it within you, too. Asadness. Why?_

The wind sighed. _He bears too many burdens. Must work with your friends, but cannot yet. Too much regret, too much pain._

_Pain?_

_He remembers._

_I don't understand. What does he remember?_

Soft as a whisper, she heard, _Murder. Death. Killing. Chaos. Terror. Horror. Pain. Torture. Wrong._

_No! But that was Jenova! It wasn't his fault that he did those things!_

_He sees it as so. _

A new determination filled her. _Then I will help him! Tell me what to do!_ She stood, clenching her hands into fists at her sides.

_Must show him love. Give him hope. Too much to bear. Before he can agree to his new path, he must first forgive himself.._

_Forgive himself?_

_So many questions. Talk to him. Tell him whys and hows of what he wants to know. You will see. But keep him close. More distance between you; harder to keep you safe._

With the Planet's warning echoing in her mind, she set off toward the camp after him.

*****

Masamune made a perfect arc in the air, cutting through an invisible opponent. Eyes closed, he concentrated on the graceful forms of his katas. One of the few enjoyments he had had for most of his life was wielding this exquisite blade. He took the responsibility of the weapon seriously. He was the only man in a hundred years who knew how to control the impossibly long, whip-thin masterpiece. Its wrapped hilt fit his hands as though it had been made especially for him, the balance just right for a man of his strength.

_Strength, HA! _He thought, viciously slashing at an imaginary monster. _I allowed myself to be controlled by that creature, killed innocents, and nearly destroyed the only person in the world who could possibly understand me! _The sudden sting of tears and his old self-disgust made him move faster. _I have been used by others my entire life! _The sword was a blur now, whirling in tight circles. _I will not be used again! _He fought the memory of Jenova's first seductive words in his blackest moment. _I am more than what others made me to be! I AM MY OWN MAN!_ The faces of the villagers from Nibelheim, SOLDIERS, unfortunate employees of ShinRa, everyone he had destroyed in his madness surrounded him. They laughed as he tried to cut them down, crowding closer.

_We are your past, _they said, _you will never be free. We are here to remind you of what you have done._

_NO! _His mind screamed, _Forgive me!_

_Never, _they laughed, _You have lost your path_

_How do I find my path again? TELL ME!_

One woman stepped forward, an ugly red gash across her shoulder and chest. She held a dying child in her arms. She shook her head sadly. _We have not the power to forgive you, General. You must forgive yourself._

He collapsed to his knees, weeping. Masamune fell from his nerveless fingers to rest beside him on the ground. He covered his face with both hands, shoulders bent and head down. "I cannot," he whispered, "I am a monster."

Then, a sweet, lilting voice behind him said softly, "No, you are no monster. You are a man. I know you. I—I love you."

Suddenly, the scent of flowers filled the air around him, and the red despair, the smoking, burning town disappeared, to be replaced by cool hands smoothing his brow. He looked up to see the girl he needed, smiling down at him. Her hair had been turned to flames by the sun behind her, the brilliant strands fanning out around her face. His head had been laid in her lap. Her fingers ran through his hair, causing him to tremble. He blinked, and gasped at what he saw.

The wind had lifted her hair again, and he was not certain if it was a trick of the eye, or if it was some message the gods were sending him, but for a moment

It looked as though a brilliant golden corona had appeared behind her head, and great chestnut-feathered wings had risen from her back. Her luminous green eyes gazed down at him, promising himcould it be the thing he knew he deserved least? Her lips moved, saying words he could not hearThen, he blinked, and she was just herself, still smiling. He reached up to her face, trying to express in words what he had just experienced, when cool oblivion took him. Just as his eyes closed once more, he heard her speak, the words echoing quietly.

"Restmy love."


	8. Penance

Night had fallen by the time he awoke. She was still there, humming peacefully. Her face was turned up to the moon, her eyes closed, smiling faintly. He was achingly reminded of how she had looked that first night in the valley, when he had found her wading in the stream. He stirred, and she looked down at him. "Well, hello."

"Love," he said, his throat raw as though he'd been screaming. "You—you stopped the pain."

Her gaze softened as she drew one finger down the side of his face. "Did I? Good. You looked so hurt. I used a sleep spell to make you rest. Can you walk?" At his nod, she continued. "We should get into the bedrolls; it's starting to get cold out here." She helped him sit up, then stand, putting her arm about his waist to steady him. He did feel weak, now that he thought about it. Together, arms around each other, they moved to the place where their blankets lay. She helped him get comfortable, then, to his surprise, she lay beside him and covered them both with her open sleeping bag. Feeling his questioning glance, she shrugged up at him. "I want to be near you, and I think you need someone to hold onto tonight. And you," she giggled, "Don't get any ideas. I really just want to sleep."

He smiled, for real this time. "My lady, for you, I can be a gentleman in every sense of the word. I merely ask one thing," He tilted her face up to his, whispering, "One touch of your lips?"

A delicious shiver went down her spine. "Of course, my lord." She leaned over him, her braid falling over one shoulder. He pulled her down to him, meeting her halfway. His hand cupped the back of her neck, fingertips tracing designs under her hair. The other caught her chin, tilting her head to give him better access to her soft lips. His mouth closed over hers, and she arched against him, hands drawing him closer. He rolled so she lay half beneath him, weaving fingers in and out of her hair. Finally, he pulled away, leaving her breathless and wanting.

Taking a steadying breath, he said, "Well, it's a good thing I am a gentleman." She giggled again, snuggling into his embrace.

"Hmmif I wasn't a good girl, I'd probably let you keep going." They both laughed a bit nervously.

Soon they were both settled. He marveled at how perfectly she fit against him, her body lying comfortably in the niche between his and the ground. Her head was pillowed on his arm, her hands lying flat against his chest. He cradled her in his arms, his free hand at her waist. They stayed like that for a long time, neither one speaking. He was beginning to drift when he heard her small voice, somewhat muffled by the blankets. "What is it, love?"

She was quiet for a moment, but he sensed she was trying to find the words. Turning a serious gaze upon him, she said, "You're not going to like it, but I need to ask you something."

"All right. Go ahead." He frowned a bit.

"What happened out there today?"

Ah, so that was it. "It's nothing for you to worry about. It's something I have to work out on my own."

"No, it's not!" She replied vehemently. "I need to know!"

He sighed. "Now?"

She nodded.

"Very well, then." He sounded annoyed. "I have, of late, been having visions. They torment me when I least expect it, usually when doing my katas." He flinched inwardly at the memory of burning flesh, blood staining his hands. "I think of it as my penance."

"Penance?"

"A punishment for the terrible things I've done." _We have not the power to forgive you, General. You must forgive yourself._

"You mean from when you were the head of SOLDIER?"

"No! I have no regrets for that part of my life. What I did then was part of war; if I killed then, it was on the battlefield, or in self-defense. I fought men who were prepared to die, who would kill me if I didn't get them first."

"Then what is eating you up inside like this? What do you have to atone for?"

He realized she knew the answer, but he said it anyway. "For Nibelheim. For the people I killed while under Jenova's spell. For the innocent workers in the ShinRa building, who were unfortunate enough to merely be in my way. For the SOLDIERS I murdered, many of whom knew me before I changed."

His fingers gripped her arms too tightly, but she dared not interrupt him. She bit her lip instead.

"I destroyed a village! Nibelheim burned because of me!" He was shaking. Why was she making him talk about this now? "Don't you understand? I killed everyone! I was insane! And I can never bring them back!" The angry, red, burning despair was coming back. He waited for it to engulf him, as it always did, waited for the faces to appear, laughing, taunting him.

Nothing happened.

He blinked back tears once more, but instead of hurting, they healed. He felt her arms around him again, felt her stroking his hair and murmuring in his ear just as he had done that first night he ran away with her. He buried his face against her neck and wept.

"I have forgiven you. You didn't know what you were doing. It was Jenova, not you. Please, love, let it go." She put her hands on either side of his face and forced him to look at her. "I don't mean you should forget it ever happened. It did, and no, you can't bring them back. But you need to realize that it wasn't you, it wasn't your mind, it was Jenova, using your body to do her dirty work. She needed a scapegoat. You were perfect for her. You're the strongest man alive, the most powerful magic-user, and you have her cells running throughout your body. The only chink in your flawless armor was your need to be accepted, loved by someone or something.

"I think she sensed that. When you got close enough to her, she promised you everything, didn't she? And you were ready to grasp anything that might get you what you needed.

"But it's a very human failing, to desire acceptance. It makes us all do things we normally wouldn't do. I gave in to that failing, myself, when I tried to pretend that I couldn't hear the Planet calling me when I was a child. Everyone whispered about me behind their hands. She hears voices,' they'd say, and shake their heads sadly. It hurt so much, knowing what I knew, and realizing how cruel people can be without thinking."

His tears had slowed, and he gaped at her, astonished. She had suffered the way he had? How could people be so blind? She was so kind, sweet, loving, open—and they still had treated her like that?

And she still wanted to save them all?

He needed to think about this.

"Please, love, you need to let this go," she repeated. "For my sake." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "For your sake."

"How did you know all that?" He asked wonderingly. "No one knows my story of that day."

"I dreamed it when it happened, five years ago." His arms tightened around her. "That's whyI could never hate you. I remember the look on your face when you began reading the books in that library. I wanted to hold you then, especially when you found out about Dr. Hojo's plans for you. I was seventeen; I thought I'd only had a nightmare, and you had just been on television when it happened, so I tried to pretend it was all part of my subconscious making things up. But then I heard the news reports that you'd died, and suddenly, I knew. The Planet confirmed it for me. I knew the truth about you. I always have. I know how heartsick you were."

His eyes locked with hers. "You knew, even when you went to the City to die."

A slight nod, then, "That's why I went." She huddled closer. "Please, love, you need to forgive yourself. Until then, Jenova will always have a piece of your heart, whether you want her to or not."

"Gods, woman, you amaze me. How did you do that?"

"What?"

"Get me to go from relaxed, to angry, to penitent, to shocked, to curious, and finally to thoughtful, all in the space of a few minutes."

She sighed again, shifting against him to get comfortable. "It's a gift."

He closed his eyes, trying not to think of what her movement was doing to him. "Ahemthen consider this a gift in return." Cupping her face once more, he placed a tender kiss on her forehead. "Now go to sleep."

"Hmmmgoodnight, love. Think about what I said."

"I will." He pulled the blanket over her head as a chilly breeze flew through the camp.


	9. Interlude

AN: This is for all the people asking me, "What did the Planet do to take Sephy's mind away from Jenova? And when will they meet up with AVALANCHE?" Read on, my friends, and thank you all for the wonderful reviews. Consider this an interlude. *wark*

*****

Hours later, in the deepest part of the night, the Planet called her. She woke to find herself held tightly to the sleeping General's warm body, covered completely by her bedroll.

_Credit to Cetra, child. So good._

_Do you think so? _Desperation tinged her thoughts._ I wanted him to understand so badly._

_Good, good, his sleep is peaceful now. Sweet child, loving child, lonely no more._

_Yes, _she thought, smiling to herself, _Lonely no more._

_Happy?_

_Yes._

_Love him?_

Sigh. _Yes._

_Good good good good right right right so happy. He loves you._ Sweet music swirled about her, purple and blue and green. Serenity.

_Are you sure?_

_Can feel it. Good good. Will help you and friends._

_I miss them. All of them._

_Here soon. Will watch over all._

_Dear Friend, I must know, how did you gain control of his mind? How did you take it from Jenova?_

Hesitation for a heartbeat. _Look Inside._

She turned her vision inward, to her soul, as the Planet had taught her long ago. She saw them lying in each other's arms, both of them dreaming. She looked at herself, seeing only a mirror image of what was happening now, her bending over her own sleeping form. A shimmering aura surrounded them both, seeming to be one entity, until she saw a thread connecting the two separate people. She touched the thread, finding it surprisingly light and flexible, like a heavy spider's web.

_This I have done. Bonded both of you. You see? _A harp-like chord sounded in question. _Keeps him away from Not-My-Child. Closer you are, stronger bond is. Farther apart, grows weaker. Must stay together._

_It seems so fragile! How do we strengthen it? Is there a way to keep him safe forever?_

A decrescendo._ Love strengthens. Vow makes permanent. Life-bond. Promise. Oath._

_Marriage?!_

_Indeed._ The music rose again, harp scales. _Not such bad fate? Love each other. Will be good. Must talk with him._

She studied him, noticing the flickering images about his head as he dreamed. Her dream form stepped closer to try to decipher his thoughts. She realized that all the images were of her. _What is he thinking about?_ She wondered, moving even closer. Her eyes widened at the scene before her. She saw herself, eyes glazed with passion, arching her back, crying out as he moved above her. Another image showed them sitting together under the willow, she in his lap, kissing him and laughing, holding the lapels of his coat. Yet another was an actual memory of their kiss in the stream, only he hadchanged it toward the end. She blushed furiously. _This is what he dreams of?_

The harp laughed. _As before, not such bad fate?_

_No, but goodness! _She surveyed the images again._ Is that what it's really like, I wonder? _She looked again at the first one, where he had begun biting at her neck and shoulders, grinning as she ran her hands over his back. _Oh, my. Well, I suppose it's far better for him than being tormented with those awful visions, isn't it?_

_Agreed. _

As she turned away, one image caught her eye. In it, she had been transformed into an angel with wings the colour of her hair. She was leaning over him, about to kiss him. _Ah, so now he imagines that I'm an angel, hmm? The ideas men get sometimes. _She half-expected the Planet's laugh again, but it was strangely quiet. She got the impression that it was preoccupied. _My Friend?_

It seemed to realize she was talking._ Must sleep now, child. Much happens on the morrow._

She tore her eyes away from his dreams reluctantly. With great care not to disturb him, she brought her mind back to semi-wakefulness. As she fell back into true sleep, one thought remained from her conversation with the Planet.

AVALANCHE was coming.


	10. AVALANCHE Appears

He was dreaming about her.

They sat beneath the willow tree by the stream, both laughing and kissing lightly. He held her in his lap, legs bent to support her. She touched his mouth with her fingertips, then touched them to her own lips, grinning. He tugged her into his embrace, and she turned to lean back against his chest. He nuzzled her ear, kissing her temple, then her neck. They both sighed and watched the stream run past, content to just sit there, quietly

"Sephiroth, you bastard, where is she?" One green eye opened at the touch of cold steel on his neck. Surrounding him on all sides were the assorted members of AVALANCHE. He narrowed his eyes at the blond man on the other end of the sword.

"Put your weapon away, Strife," he hissed, hoping the girl in his arms wouldn't waken just yet. She had burrowed down beneath the blankets entirely; they didn't realize she was there.

"I'll put it away after I sever your smug head from your body. WHERE IS SHE?" Cloud Strife's electric blue eyes burned. "If you've hurt her"

The General was losing patience rapidly. "Remove your sword first. Do it!" He tried to keep his voice down.

The boy scowled at him, but moved the massive flat blade into a ready position. He would take no chances with this man. "Now, where is she? You had her last."

He was about to reply when the blankets moved and a sleepy voice said plaintively, "Love, what's wrong? I thought I heard you talking." The girl in question sent her hands questing upward to go around his neck. She hadn't opened her eyes yet when she pulled his head down to hers for a sweet kiss.

AVALANCHE was, for once, entirely speechless, all eight faces slack-jawed. He chuckled.

"Love, we have company." She opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly, then focused on the dumbfounded people looking down at her. Still waking up, she met Cloud's horrified stare. She saw the sword in his hands as he stood over her, and suddenly, her mind called up the memory of the last time she'd seen him.

_She'd actually seen her friend raise his sword against her. There had been the solid metallic clang when his sword descended. He was going to kill her, he had failed in the City, and here he was now, ready to strike..._

She screamed, to everyone's surprise, and turned away from her friend, burying her face against her lover's chest. He held her tightly as she struggled to get up and run away, as far away from the terrible weapon as possible.

"No, not again! Please, don't kill me," her shoulders shook. He glared up at the stunned young man.

"Strife, put that thing away NOW!" he barked, keeping the girl's face turned toward him. "Stupid boy, now you've frightened her." His face was angry, but his arms gentle. He bent his head to speak softly to her. "It's all right, love, he isn't going to hurt you. It's not like before. He didn't know you were here."

Slowly she calmed, mesmerized by his soothing voice. He glanced back up at the others. "If you wouldn't mind giving us a moment? Don't look at me like that, Strife, I want to give her time to come to her senses. In case you hadn't noticed, holding a sword above her head wasn't the best way to wake her." Ignoring the boy's indignant retort, he turned his attention back to the woman in his arms.

A pretty brunette put her hand on Cloud's shoulder. "Come on, just do as he says. We're all watching; if he tries anything, we'll be ready, OK?"

"Fine, but so help me, if he so much as looks like he's going to—hey!" He was cut off as the brunette and the man in red each took an arm and dragged him backward.

"He's not going to do anything to her with all of us here," the man said in a low voice. "Now leave them be for a minute."

The others followed, expressions ranging from disbelief to disgust as they looked over their shoulders at the man tenderly holding the girl in his arms, touching her face and murmuring calming things in her ear.

*****

They sat in a circle around the fire, no one saying much of anything. The brunette started at a sound behind her and looked up to see a familiar tear-stained face. With a cry that startled the others, she leapt up and threw her arms around her friend.

"Aeris!! You're okay!" She hugged the smaller girl tightly. Yuffie bounded up and joined in, the three girls laughing and crying at once.

"Ow, Tifa, yes, I'm all right," she laughed, "But not so tight!" She smiled at the woman she considered to be her best friend, and then at the young ninja. "It's—oh, it's so good to see both of you!"

"Hey, what the hell are we, chopped liver?" Cid teased, and she ran over to him, too, hugging him, Barrett, and Cait Sith each in turn. Nanaki purred and rubbed his head against her leg, closing his eyes in bliss when she scratched behind his ear. She kissed Vincent on the cheek when it was his turn, surprising him. Finally she turned to Cloud, and her laughter died. He was watching her with a strange expression, something between longing and hurt. She slowly walked over to him, placing a tentative hand on his arm. He looked at it, then covered it with his own.

"Aeris—I'm so sorry. I would never have hurt you," he began, but the words caught in his throat. He couldn't look at her.

"It's all right, Cloud." She laughed a little, a clear tinkling sound that relaxed everyone. "I'm saying that an awful lot today, aren't I? I mean it. I realize that Jenova was making you do that. It was just a shock to see you standing over me with a sword this morning. I wouldn't have acted like that if I'd been completely awake." She gazed around at her friends, the only people in the world she had besides her adoptive mother and the man she loved. "I am so glad you are all here. We have a lot to talk about."

"Maybe we should start with what do we do about _him_?" Tifa jerked her head in the direction of the silver-haired man. "What exactly is going on here?" She eyed him with distrust.

His eyes narrowed at the brunette as he moved to stand beside his love, one hand possessively on her waist. It seemed to him as though the others had suddenly ranged themselves in a protective half-circle around the girl. Protecting her from—what? Him? His hand tightened reflexively and she jumped, breaking the tension that had sprung up at his arrival. She looked up at him, reaching a hand up to touch his face.

"Please, love, it will be all right," she whispered. Sighing, he nodded, wishing he could just whisk her away from them again. This was going to be a very long day.

*****

It took most of the day to explain what had happened to each group since the City of the Ancients. The afternoon came and went, and the meeting degenerated into anger and distrust, fueled by the rivalry of two men over one girl. After eating a dinner that she hardly tasted, she slipped away from the arguing voices and glaring eyes to sit by the stream, knees drawn up to her chest, arms clasped around them. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

_Oh, gods and Planet both, this is going to be a very difficult task._

_Thought would be easy? _Sympathy and comfort, in lavender and grey. _Thought would be simple?_

_Of course not, but why can't they just let go of their hatred for now? I don't understand why they can't try to work together._

_Too much pain on both sides. They must forgive. Must do before he can forgive himself. You can help._

She closed her eyes, letting the tears fall. _I can only do so much. They stopped listening to me a long time ago, my Friend. They think I'm just a woman infatuated with a handsome man, and they don't want to hurt my feelings._

More warm comfort enveloped her, a few low notes from a flute.

_Why can't they realize that they're hurting me more by fighting him?_

"Aeris?"

She came back to herself. Turning around, she didn't expect to see Vincent standing a few yards away. She wiped the tears from her face. "Oh, hello."

He motioned to the grass beside her. "May I?" At her nod, he sat, one leg stretched out before him, the other drawn up like hers. He looked over at her, head cocked to one side. "You've been crying."

"Hmm. Not like I can hide it very well, right? Just feeling sorry for myself, I guess." She sighed and gazed out at the rushing water of the stream. "How are things going back there?"

"Not well. I actually came to make certain you were all right. Sephiroth noticed you were missing, and Cloud began tearing into him about how he couldn't even keep track of you, et cetera, et ceteraSo he would have come out himself, but he's been, um, detained." He glanced at her again. "Are you all right?"

"No, Vincent, I'm not." She rested her forehead on her knees. "You know something? I was so happy just with him, the two of us, alone here. Please don't get me wrong, I missed all of you terribly, but—,"

"But at least you didn't have to worry about the people you love trying to kill each other, right?"

She bit her lip to keep from crying again. "Something like that." Her head turned toward the camp, where the voices were rising in anger. "It's just getting worse, isn't it?"

He nodded, watching her face carefully. Something had crept into the tone of her voice. "Aerisyou really are in love with him, aren't you?"

She met his eyes. "Yes," she said softly, then her expression changed to one of worry. "Please, I really mean it! He's—different now. There's always been a bond of some kind between us; the Planet strengthened it. I—there are ways for us to keep him from Jenova's control, and part of it involves our staying close to each other. I won't leave him alone now."

"Would you choose him over us if it came down to it?" He kept his tone even. "Truthfully. I promise to support your decision either way." _You look like you need an unbiased friend, little girl, and I have reasons of my own to help Sephiroth._

"If forced to make a choice, then I would go with him in a heartbeat." There were a few shouts, then the voices died down again. She bowed her head once more. "I hope I never have to make that choice."

"Maybe we should go back."

"Yes." There was definitely steel underlaying the soft word. Vincent stood, offering his good hand to help her up as well. She straightened her dress and began walking to the camp. After a few steps, though, she stopped and turned to look at the dark-haired man. "Vincent, I know you don't like a lot of attention, and I wouldn't say this in front of the others. Thank you for watching over me. The others are kind of irresponsible, or hotheaded, or both, and I love them all dearly, but I am so glad you're here. My family died so long ago, and Elmyra has been wonderful. Sometimes, though, I wished I had a brother or a sister to talk to, who would tease me and look out for me."

The red eyes widened, then smiled. "Are you asking me to be your brother, Aeris?" Amusement coloured his words.

She smiled back at him. "Sure."

He shook his head and began walking again. She wondered if he didn't like the idea. Then, as if he heard her mental question, he looked back at her.

"So, are you coming, Little Sister?"


	11. TruceFor Now

Back at the camp, things were not going so well. The two reached the edge of the clearing to find a fight about to break outagain.

"I don't want to hear anything you have to say!" The boy shouted, restrained by a worried-looking Tifa. "You tell nothing but lies, anyway! You actually expect us to believe she stayed with you because she wanted to? I still say you used some kind of Manipulation spell on her or something!"

"Believe what you want. I told the truth, and so did she. Unless you think she's lying too?" The man had drawn himself up to his full height. "Didn't you listen to her when she talked about the Planet's intervention?"

Cloud looked uncertain. When he felt the General's eyes boring through him, he met them defiantly. They stared, unblinking, across the fire at each other as the seconds ticked by. Cloud was the first to drop his gaze as the other smirked. Gnashing his teeth, he moved around the fire to stand toe-to-toe with his former idol. "Damn you, you bastard, I wish I understood what she sees in you!"

One snowy brow rose coolly. "Maybe it's because I'm not a short, weak, failure," he replied, looking down his nose.

Half a second later, while the other man watched in amusement, arms crossed, the majority of the group was holding back a violently struggling Cloud. "Well, if I'd realized that all I had to do to win her was kill innocent people, maybe I'd've had a chance with her too, you insane freak!" he growled, watching with satisfaction as the composed, handsome face broke into a mask of fury.

The General advanced on him, Masamune suddenly in hand. "Let's settle this now, boy," he spat, lunging forward.

"Gladly!" Cloud threw the rest of his friends off him and rushed to meet his enemy.

"_THAT IS ENOUGH!!_"

The blades stopped mid-swing.

Eight heads turned around in surprise to see the object of their fight standing at the edge of the firelight, spine ramrod straight, glaring at everyone through her tears. Vincent stood behind her, looking somewhat astonished at the near-carnage. "Umm, Aeris, we—," Cloud began.

"Stop!" she interrupted. "I think I've heard plenty." She snatched up her wrap from the ground, whirling away as she drew it on. She began to walk away, then spun to face them again. "I give up. Kill each other, for all I care! I am done trying, and I'm sick of being put in the middle _EVERY SINGLE TIME_. Not another word from _ANYONE_," she held her hands up as the whole group tried to speak at once. A soft swell of concern entered her head. "That goes for you, too!" she cried, pointing at the ground. Immediately, the music faded. After meeting each person's eyes with a hurt expression in her own, lingering on the two men who loved her most, she stalked off into the darkness.

As she brushed past Vincent, he reached out his human hand and caught her arm gently. "Where are you going?"

"I'll be fine. I thought I was ready to handle this, but I'm not." She looked up at him, trying to contain the tears that threatened to fall just then. "Please, Vincent," she whispered, "I won't go far."

He hesitated, searching her eyes, then nodded. Letting go of her arm, he said, "All right." She turned and ran back toward the stream.

Her lover began to follow her, but found Vincent blocking his way. "Let me pass," he growled. Red eyes met Mako green, not even flinching at the younger man's frosty glare.

"She specifically said she wished to be alone." To all of them, he said, "I suggest we work all this out right now. It will give her a bit of time to calm down. _Again_."

Tifa moved to Cloud's side. "C'mon, I think all this fighting really hurt her. She's been through a lot in the last few days," she glanced at Sephiroth, whose hands clenched and unclenched at his sides as he looked out into the darkness, "I think we owe it to her to work together. That's what she wanted, right?"

Everyone looked at her in varying degrees of surprise. _Tifa_ was suggesting that they work with their nemesis?

"Please, I don't like it any more than you do. Frankly, General, I would rather let you and Cloud work out your differences with your swords, but Aeris is right. We need to stay together on this. You can't fight Jenova on your own, and, though I hate to admit it, we need your strength. And Aeris's magic. And if you don't help us, neither will she." She put a hand on Cloud's arm.

Nanaki lashed his tail. "I would hate to put her in the position of having to choose."

"Yeah," said Yuffie, "I mean, we came all this way to get her back, and the first thing we do is fight over her like a—a—, " 

"Like a piece of stolen materia?" Cid supplied, eyeing her warily.

"No! Well, it doesn't matter," the girl huffed, "I just mean we can't keep treating her like she's got no say in her destiny. She's not an object, or a piece of luggage, or something. Doesn't Aeris have feelings and ideas, like the rest of us? Just cause she always watches out for us, and is always asking us if we're okay, we act like she doesn't hurt, too." Silence met her words. Everyone was shocked that, for once, Yuffie had stated the painful truth with total clarity.

"Goddamn, girl," said Cid, "That's frickin' it, isn't it?" He crushed a cigarette to death with his bootheel.

"I agree," Cait Sith added. "She's been through enough, like Tifa said."

Barrett nodded. "Yeah, this was s'posed to be a rescue mission." He looked down at his hand and gun arm. "Damn, some rescue."

"Please, Cloud, Sephiroth, can't we just unite this once? We have a common enemy, here, and you guys can kill each other all you want afterwards. OK?" Tifa pleaded, looking up at each man as she stood between them.

Vincent looked at the two men. "Perhaps you two should shake for now. Then BOTH of you go find her, and apologize. She's angriest at you."

Sephiroth felt a twinge in his heart at the thought of having hurt her. Cloud reluctantly stuck out his hand, and the taller man grasped it, for just a moment. The others breathed a sigh of relief. He let go of the boy's hand and scooped up his coat and sword. Without another word, he pivoted on his heel and strode out of the camp. He had a good idea of where his lover was. He heard Cloud's footsteps hurrying to catch up. "Hey, wait a minute! We're supposed to go together." His sensitive hearing caught the muttered, "Big jerk," under his rival's breath. He smiled coldly.

"I'm not stopping you from following me, now, am I?" He quickened his pace a bit, until the blond dropped behind him a pace or two. He hesitated long enough to let the boy pull even, then set off again. "No wonder you never made it through SOLDIER training. You can't even keep up a decent pace."

"You know what?" Cloud stormed, cutting in front of him. His blue eyes glowed fiercely in the darkness. "I'm really sick of hearing about what a failure I am. You're not so perfect yourself." Ignoring the hostility in the green eyes in front of him, he continued, "You're the one who burned Nibelhei—," He choked as a gloved hand snaked out and wrapped around his throat. It drew him forward until their noses nearly touched.

"You know what?" the General sneered, "I hate you. And I look forward to killing you when we're done with Jenova. Until then, you will not mention the town you were about to name. You will not call me freak, insane, jerk, murderer, or whatever other names you have for me. You will do this, for HER sake, because I would hate to see her face when I tell her I had to kill you, though I had promised not to. Remember, the only reason you are still alive is because _I love her_. I told her I'd work with her friends—I never said I'd pretend to LIKE any of you. Understand?"

Cloud, beginning to black out from lack of oxygen, nodded as best he could. The hand around his throat opened suddenly, and he fell to the ground gasping. He recovered quickly, sitting up to see Sephiroth standing over him. The other man offered his hand, the same one that had nearly cut off his air supply, with a genial smile on his lips and a threat in his eyes. "This isn't a trick, is it?" Cloud asked, eyeing the hand.

He snorted. "Of course not. Come on, she's exactly where I thought she'd be. She usually goes to the same place to be alone." He looked over in the direction he'd indicated, face softening. "There's a willow tree beside the stream that she likes." Cloud accepted the help up, surprised to see any emotion other than anger or arrogance on his rival's face. Then, before his eyes, the man's expression hardened as he turned to face Cloud. "Are you quite ready?" Without waiting for an answer, he headed toward the stream, black coat and silver hair billowing behind him.

Amazed, Cloud shook his head at the other's mercurial moods, then followed once more.


	12. Aeris Explains A Few Things

AN: "Home, Sweet Home" is actually from FFV. This scene popped into my head when I heard the group Angelin Tyot perform it on one of Square's CDs of arranged music. I changed the words a bit to fit the moment. Hope you like! *wark*

*****

The two men walked in silence. The taller of the two led the way, as if he knew exactly where to go. _He probably does, _Cloud thought bitterly, _He spent the better part of a week alone with her. I shudder to think of what happened between them. _He nearly snorted in disgust. _We found him sleeping with her! Oh, gods, I hope he didn't—no, he wouldn't have, would he?_

The silver-haired General ignored the boy's expression. _Let him think what he wishes about us. I just want to make sure she's all right. _A pain went through his heart when he remembered her expression, just as she stormed out of the camp. _I never wanted to hurt her. I never will—why can't they understand?_

_Because of your past, he answered himself, you destroyed any reason they once had to trust you. _

_But I regret it! I repented!_

_Do you think it matters? They hate you, with good reason. She is the only one who doesn't. She is the only one who understands._

"Sephiroth," the boy's voice interrupted his thoughts, "I need to ask you a question."

He grunted in response, annoyed. _I have a feeling I know what you are about to ask._ He wasn't disappointed.

"I need to know if you and Aeris—," Cloud began.

"If we what? Fell in love? Slept together? Yes. Have we actually made love? No." At the surprise on the blond's face, he retorted, "I'm not the beast you think I am." _At least, she tells me I'm not a beast. I want so much to believe her. _He quickened his pace. "Anything else you need' to know?"

Cloud hurried after him. "Dammit, I wouldn't have asked you that!" At the other's raised brow, his face coloured. "All right, so I did want to know."

"Not that it's any of your business."

"It is my business! Aeris isspecial. I don't want you hurting her."

The other man stopped moving and turned to glare at him. His eyes narrowed in anger, the glowing irises the only spots of light in an otherwise shadowed face. "I will never hurt her." Each word was enunciated carefully in his clipped, clear speech. "I will never hurt her."

Something in his tone made Cloud pause. Could it be this man was actually telling the truth? He studied his rival. _Gods, the man actually is in love! The Great Sephiroth! In lovewith Aeris, of all people! Come to think about it, though, if it was going to be anyone, she would be the only likely person. Everybody loves her. Even Vincent, who barely gives the time of day to most people, opens up and actually chats with her. _He laughed out loud. "I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

"Shut up, Strife." Frustrated at not being able to wring the boy's scrawny neck, he set off again toward the willow by the stream.

Cloud followed him, still laughing.

Trying to ignore the obnoxious boy, he thought, _Maybe if I just chop off a limb or twoI could claim that Masamune slipped by accident'_

*****

They reached the edge of the wooded path. Cloud hadn't been here before, and he looked around with great interest. A slope of grass led down to the streambank, where the water babbled past in a constant, undulating ribbon. On the opposite side of the stream was another hill, leading to more woods. It curved around and under the stream, creating small rapids of smooth stone and rushing waterfalls. A willow tree leaned by one of the curves in the water, its long leafy strands trailing in the shallows. At the same time, the two men spotted the object of their search sitting beneath it.

She didn't appear to notice them. She wore only her pink strapless dress, the red jacket and boots neatly folded and stacked off to her left. Her wrap was spread beneath her like a blanket. She had tucked her legs under her to one side, her right hand resting on her ankle and her left toying with the end of her braid. Her back rested against the smooth bark of the tree, nestled in a small hollow that made a natural seat among the tree's roots. Her eyes were closed.

The plaintive notes of a song reached their ears as they stood, transfixed by the beauty before them. She sang the simple melody with an untrained voice, but the music was all the sweeter for it:

So far away from my home sweet home  
Day by day from land to land I roam  
Though told by the wind which way to go;  
Oh, how I long for my home sweet home

So far I've come in my travels home  
There will come a time when my travails are gone  
And then I shall not by all alone  
Till then I dream of my home sweet home

For a long time, no one moved. Then, she opened her eyes and looked straight at them. "I wondered if you would make it here without killing each other." She motioned for both of them to sit by her, one on either side, under the tree. They did, neither speaking, waiting for her to talk first.

It appeared she didn't want to. She merely smiled slightly at each of them, then contemplated the rushing water before them. Just as Cloud opened his mouth to speak, she raised her hand and he fell silent. After another long while, she sighed and rose, stretching. She walked a few steps away. Then, without facing them, she finally spoke.

"Isn't it nice here? The peace, the solitude? The feeling like you're the only person in the world?" She looked over her shoulder at them, then turned back to the water. "I have spent a lot of time sitting here in the past few days, just thinking. I would imagine that there was no need to save the world, that I could stay here forever, in peace." Her words were measured, as though she had spent time thinking about them beforehand. She sighed again. "I know that tomorrow, I will leave this place, perhaps never to return. This is something I think every time I find a place I love; that I may never get the chance to visit it again, or that something will happen there, and even if I do come back, it will never be the same.

"I think about my friends the same way. Maybe it comes from the time when I thought I would die in the Forgotten City. Every person I met, every word I spoke to them, every laugh we shared, it's all in my heart. I love the frantic noise of the busiest city as much as I cherish the silence of the darkest night in the woods. The water, the grass, the people, the animals, it's all part of the Planet's movement. I feel the dance of the sun as it rises and falls among the stars, the stars moving in tune with the moon, the moon following the slow, graceful steps the Planet takes through space." She turned to them, eyes shining.

"I hear the Planet when it speaks to me, and I love the voices, the colours, the music. There is power in it, and love. I know that, when I die, I will become part of the Lifestream that is the blood flowing through the Planet's veins. I was prepared for that to happen a week ago.

"But in all this time, I had never sought the one thing that would cause all the pieces of my existence to make sense. I thought that I had no right to fall in love." She met the green eyes. "After all, the person I loved was the very man who had been sent to destroy me. He was the mortal enemy of my friends, a terrible man, hated and feared around the world. How could I prove to my friends, my only friends, that he was not a monster? That he, though more powerful than any human in history, was still human?

"For years this question ate at my insides. When I became involved in AVALANCHE, it tormented me even more. I heard the stories of the families torn apart, the towns ruined, the people who gave their lives to stop him, and still I could not reveal what I knew to be the truth. I had dreamed of the day he discovered the awful secrets surrounding his birth. I was there the moment the Calamity from the Sky first spoke in his mind, trying to convince him that he was Cetra, and had to reclaim his heritage. I knew the pain in his heart when he dreamed of what he never had; unconditional love, touch without pain, the missing piece of his soul.

"Soon after Jenova took his mind, she found a tiny thread of his consciousness running from him to me. She could not break it, so she set about to warp and twist it into hatred, or fear, or loathing. But the bond remained. Something always connected us; that's why I always seemed to know where he was.

"Enter the Planet. I am the last of my kind, and it wasn't ready to give up the only person who could hear it. It knew I was ready to die praying for Holy. I was waiting for Masamune's length to sever my ties to life, and thus make me a sacrifice to protect my friends. The Planet took that thread of thought between us and created a true Bond, shocking Jenova out of her puppet's mind just long enough for him to realize what was happening. Looking for an alternative, Jenova seized my friend's mind that same instant, trying to make him kill me instead. I was rescued in time, however, by the very man who would have killed my otherwise. Once more, Jenova was thwarted."

She knelt before them, holding out her hands. As if in a dream, Cloud took the left one and clasped it to his heart, while Sephiroth brought her right one to his lips.

"I love both of you, so very much. Of all the people in the world, you are the two dearest in my life. I cannot bear to see you fighting. I won't ask for you to become friends, for that is a personal decision that one makes for oneself. But I wish very much for you to help each other. Promise me," She met and held first green, then blue eyes, "Promise me that you will work together. You will not harm each other, and you will protect each other from harm."

The two men looked across at each other warily. Sephiroth turned back to her first. "Love, I cannot deny you anything, even this. I will do as you ask, though it pains me to do so."

She kissed his mouth lightly. "Then it is all the more precious to me."

Cloud nodded his assent. "I'll do this, too. And for once, I agree with him. There are a hundred things I'd rather do, but I could never defy your wishes, either."

She withdrew her hand from his and cupped his face. "Thank you, my friend." She saw the disappointment in his expression. "I have never been yours, Cloud. The one for whom you were made sits by the fire, back down the path you followed here. Tifa needs you."

"Tifa?"

She nodded. "Go on, go talk to her." She looked up at his erstwhile rival. "I need to discuss some things with this one, alone."

Suddenly feeling awkward, Cloud got to his feet, blinking and shaking his head. For a moment, he had thought her voice was beginning to echo, as though there were other people repeating her words as she spoke. He headed back down the path to the campfire, but turned back to ask her about it.

He decided to ask later when he realized they had already fallen into each others' arms. Neither one noticed him blush, and leave the second time.


	13. Something Different Oh, My!

The moment Cloud turned away, the General drew his love into his arms. His fingers began to loosen her braid, tugging the ribbon from the end and freeing the interwoven pieces until her hair poured over her shoulders in a shining torrent. He cupped the back of her head and brought her mouth up to touch his. "Beautiful girl," he murmured, tracing the line of her chin with one finger, "I need you."

"I know," she replied, returning the kiss.

He moved until her back was pillowed on the grass and he lay over her. He propped himself up on his arms, letting his own loose hair spill down on either side of her face. "I'm sorry for acting like an ass."

She giggled. "I'm very certain those words don't pass your lips very often, love, but this is the second time you've apologized to me." He kissed her again, longer this time, and when he pulled away, she was gasping.

He lowered his head to nibble her ear. "We can talk later, you know," he breathed, enjoying the feel of her hands running through his hair.

"No, love, we need to talk first. This is important." She reluctantly pushed him away. He still loomed over her, grinning evilly. "No! Oh, you are impossible."

"I thought I was irresistible." His teeth gently raked the side of her neck, then trailed a line of short kisses over her throat to the other side. "Hmm, how convenient, you already took off your jacket. Are you sure you want to interrupt this to talk?"

"No, I mean yes!" She glared up at him, but couldn't keep a straight face and burst out laughing. "I suppose a better word for you is intractable."

"Individual."

"Insidious."

"Incredible."

"Insatiable."

He looked thoughtful. "Yes, actually, I agree with that one." He kissed her deeply as she smiled. Without warning, the kiss grew serious, his mouth devouring hers as his hands caressed her narrow waist. She ran her hands up along his wonderful arms, twining them about his neck and in his hair again, trying to drag him even closer. When he pulled away, he was still so close their noses touched. He let her breathe a few times, then began again. His hands started to move upward, fingers under her back, his thumbs just barely grazing the outer edges of her breasts. She moaned into his mouth, half wishing he would keep going, half trying to come back to her senses. The Planet wasn't helping much.

_Right choice, _it said, _good choice_the passion reds were whirling in her mind like bolts of silk thrown to the wind. 

_Gods and Planet both,_ the sane half of her mind said, _I thought I was supposed to talk with him first!_

An amused shrug._ So this happens first. Pleasant, yes?_

_That's not the point. Oh, gods, he's kissing me harder. Oh, my, this is wonderful._

Suddenly, she no longer felt the grass on her shoulders. She opened her eyes to see the familiar crystalline blue of Inside. Only this time, she wasn't alone.

He stood before her, looking mightily confused.

_Oh, my,_ she thought again, _Now this is unexpected._

*****

AN: Yes, I know this one is short, but that was too perfect a place to stop. I happen to have been home all week with laryngitis, so I've had lots of time to write! I thought I'd leave you all with this little tidbit. Don't worry, another chapter will be up very soon, probably later today! *wark*


	14. The Planet's Turn To Explain

Soft music played somewhere in the background as they stared at each other. He had a very strange expression on his face. "Love?"

"Yes?"

"How did we get here?"

She chewed on her bottom lip, trying to think of a good explanation in ten words or less. "Well, you see, we're Inside."

"I know where we are. I want to know how you got here." _Frankly, how did I get here? I was kissing her_

It was her turn to look confused. "You've been here before?"

"Of course. This is where I contemplate things when I'm meditating." He peered at her. "You've been here before, too?"

"This is Inside. It's where I go sometimes when I need to talk to the Planet without interruption. I was here last night, before AVALANCHE showed up."

"How can you get inside my inner mind?"

"What are you talking about? This is MY inner mind!" She glanced around. A few yards away, she saw the representations of their physical forms as she had the previous night. They were locked in a passionate kiss, unmoving, like statues. This time, however, there was only one image above the two of them; the mirror image of her in the blue void, with him standing behind her. She spun back to face him, to find that he had moved forward a few steps as she did. She nearly collided with his chest, but he caught her before she could fall from surprise. "What's going on?" she asked, then realized something. "PLANET?"

_Here._

She switched to thought. _Is this your doing?_

_Of course. Brought you here together. _The music grew and faded, the mellow tones of a lute this time. The blue glowed and dimmed in time to the sound.

"Wait—that's the Planet's voice?" he said weakly. Alarmed, she helped him sit down, for all colour had drained from his face. "It doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't?"

"I always thought it was mine."

She looked nonplussed. "You've heard the Planet before? How? Here?"

Imperceptibly, he nodded. "I would argue things over with myself in here. Though I always assumed it was my own mind, playing devil's advocate or something..."

Amusement drifted over them both. _Should never assume, silly man._

"I'll remember that in the future." He shook his head, dazed. _I can hear the Planet?_

_Where are we, dear Friend?_

_Inside. You recognize Inside. Here often enough._

_But Inside whom? Him? Me?_

_Inside ME._

They both froze. The Planet's voice, gaining strength, as though more and more voices were joining a chorus, continued.

_Always Inside ME. Brought you here for safety, sanity. Safe place. Any more fear, pain, separation, can come here to find each other. Created bond as lifeline. Where one goes, other may follow. _The notes flurried, the Planet's own form of rueful laughter. In the unmoving forms before them, the golden auras shimmered, highlighting the tenuous Bond. _Never came here together. Never same time. Always alone, always lonely. Too far apart. Not enough love, obstacles, Not-My-Child interfering, not enough knowledge to follow each other._ The voice sounded pleased. _Now never too far apart. Soon, perhaps permanent._

"Permanent?" the man's normally clear voice was hushed. He touched his beloved's face. "Permanent how?" He addressed the Planet, but never took his eyes from hers.

_Love. Bond. Oath. Vow. Must speak with her, play can wait. Need to discuss plans first. Need to make decisions. No secrets. No more waiting. Then, play. Love. Plans first._

The two stared at each other. Finally, the girl spoke aloud. "We should get back, then. I'd rather talk about this in person."

He nodded in silent agreement, already making his decisions in his mind. They both closed their eyes, concentrated on their entwined bodies under the willow, and suddenly, they were there. He did not release her right away, instead plundering her mouth for just a moment more. When he did pull back, she whimpered at the look in his eyes.

_Oh, gods, he's angry at me, he must think I tricked him into this or something. _She closed her eyes as he sat up, turning her head to the side so he wouldn't see them filling up with tears for the hundredth time that night. She managed to get herself under control, and she, too slowly got into a sitting position.

He pulled a blade of grass from the ground, inspecting it carefully. His expressionless visage gave nothing away. She could see the faint glow of green lighting his cheekbones from his half-closed eyes. Then that solemn gaze was turned upon her fully, the General looking over a raw recruit, missing nothing. She jumped when he spoke.

"We will deal with the issues of Inside and why I can hear the Planet later. Right now, I want you to tell me what the Planet was talking about regarding this Bond. From the beginning."

"O—okaythe beginning?"

"When I abducted you."

She hesitated, then began, the words coming out in a rush. "It started when I asked the Planet why I hadn't been killed. It told me I was the last of my kind, and if I died, it would have no one Hear it anymore. When I asked what it would do when I died of old age, it told me it would talk to my children. I was shocked! I had never planned on having any children, since I thought my life was going to end so early. I couldn't think of anyone I knew who I'd even consider as a father, since I didn't love Cloud like that, nor any of the members of AVALANCHE. And they were the only people I knew. Then, you touched my arm and the Planet began sending me images and feelings about you. I thought, dear Gods, it can't be him! But the Planet had already chosen for me." She paused, hoping he didn't hate her for not telling him this sooner.

"Go on," he said, face still unreadable.

"Then you kissed me at the inn, and you had carried me there, and I started to realize that you were the man I'd dreamed about, not the evil monster, but the burdened, sorrowful man. I fell in love with you. Yesterday, you asked me about how the Planet had saved you, and I found out by looking Inside last night. It showed me the Bond, and told me how to keep it intact. Love, it said, would strengthen it, but only temporarily. To make it permanent—," her voice dropped to a near whisper, "I would have to marry you. That's what it meant by oath' and vow'. A marriage vow is a public promise, legally and spiritually binding."

"And where does that leave us?" he asked softly. "Has all this been decided for us? Do you have any say in this?" He leaned forward, cupping her chin in his hand. "Do I?"

She wanted to hide from the flaring intensity in his Mako eyes. "There's always a choice, love. The Planet has told me what it wants to happen, but you make your decisions on your own."

He continued his perusal of her face for a while. "And if I decide not to marry you?"

Fresh tears sprang to her eyes. "I—I would not force you to do anything."

"What about children? What if I don't ever want any, because I would never want another child to endure what I went through?" His voice was still soft, calm, detached.

"Again, that is your choice." She pulled away from his hand, dropping her gaze to her lap as a few tears escaped, darkening the fabric of her dress where they fell. "Though I cannot lie; my heart was overjoyed when I was given back the chance to have a family."

"What would you do if I decided to have no part in the Planet's plans? What if I decide to leave?"

Her breath choked her. "Then the Planet would have to admit that you were the wrong choice. If I want those things, and I do, I would eventually have to look for someone else to marry"

_"NO!"_ His cry frightened her, so sudden and so vehement. Her eyes snapped back up to meet his. "I will never allow another man to touch you! You are _mine_, Aeris!" His hands went to her shoulders, pulling her unresisting form into a fierce embrace.

"I don't understand! I thought you saidthose questions you asked," She was utterly confused, but her heart was growing lighter.

"Love, I meant it when I said I needed you. I was asking those questions because I wanted to know if I at least had a choice. I never said I wouldn't follow the very attractive path the Planet opened up for me. I need you, love, and I will marry you. But only if that is what you wish, not what some manipulative entity tells you it wants." _No offense,_ he thought to the entity in question.

_None taken, _came the unexpected reply, with a hint of amusement.

The girl gave him no time to reflect upon that, for she threw her arms about his neck, kissing him soundly. "Yes! I want that, and yes, it's my decision. When this all started, I mightn't have been so sure, but I've had time to learn who you are." She smiled up at him, holding him tightly, tight enough so he couldn't escape.

He smiled. "Then let's get some sleep. Tomorrow, we make plans with AVALANCHE. I'll let you decide what to tell them."

"Let's not tell them yet. I still need them to get used to you being on our side, so we'll keep it quiet for now. But the first cleric we run across," she sighed happily.

"The very first one we find will marry us." He grinned at the prospect. "Come on, let's sit in our favorite spot. I want to hold you under this tree one last time before we leave."

*****

AN: Hmm, let me know what you think of this chapter. It was difficult to write, since I had a hard time envisioning the whole marriage proposal part. If you don't like it, maybe I'll rewrite it later. *wark*


	15. Leaving the Valley Behind

Daybreak.

The strange assortment of people made their way out of the valley, moving Southwest. After arguing for a long time, they had decided to leave the continent and head back to Cosmo Canyon. There were too many questions, too many problems to solve. Perhaps Bugenhagen would have the answers they needed, at very least, perhaps he could point them in the right direction.

As they reached the ridge on the opposite side of the valley, they stopped to catch their breaths after the arduous climb. While the others shared oatcakes for breakfast, the girl with the chestnut hair stood apart, looking wistfully back at the grassy, tree-dotted expanse. I will miss this place, her heart cried, I wonder if I will return someday.

A pair of strong arms surrounded her from behind, and the sweet scent of well-worn leather came with them. She leaned back into the embrace, eyes never leaving the breathtaking vista. "I wish we didn't have to leave."

"I know," he said, lifting her hair from her neck and placing a light kiss there. "Maybe we can come live here when this is all done."

She looked at him, face shining with hope. "I—I would like that very much." She snuggled into the warmth of his coat, holding his arms where they crossed in front of her. _We'll be married then, _she thought. _I will be his wife. _A delicious thrill went through her at that. She sighed and closed her eyes, enjoying the peace of the cold morning air, the warm heartbeat next to her ear, the low chatter of her friends. _I feelcontent._

_Good. Chose well._

She smiled slightly. _Not that you had any say in it._

_Of course not. Silly child. Was always meant to be so. He loves you._

She sighed again, looking up at him. He was regarding her bemusedly. _I know._

_You know, I can hear everything you say to the Planet when you're this close._

She started. _You can??_

_Yes. Since last night I can._ His eyes narrowed as he smiled at her, a genuine, warm, open smile. _You know, you're absolutely beautiful when you look at me like that._

_Funny, I was going to say the same thing to you, _she teased. They laughed together. The others looked at them in surprise, first at her sudden laugh, then at the expression on his face. None of them had ever thought to see such happiness on his normally expressionless visage.

_Ah, such peace._ Deep blue sparkled with soft gold. _Good for each other._

Cloud, as mystified as the rest of them, shook his head. They seemed to find humor in something no one else apparently knew about. "All right, then, let's mosey."

Barrett scowled. "Boy, if you're supposed to be our leader, can't you at least say somethin' that don't make you sound like a wuss? Damn, how about Let's go' or Move out'?"

The younger man sighed. "Fine, then, move out'," he said with some annoyance. "Sheesh. Happy now?"

"Yeah, that's better." They began the trek down the mountain, loosely in single file. Cloud and Tifa led, followed by Barrett, Cid, Cait Sith, Yuffie, and Nanaki. Vincent waited for the last two, who were stealing one last look at the peaceful valley.

"We'd better go," he said quietly. They turned to see him patiently waiting, as the rest of the AVALANCHE team disappeared down the path behind him. Wordlessly, they nodded and joined him.

_I'll be back someday, I promise_

*****

Once they left the valley, the environment changed dramatically. Gone were the temperate breezes, the soft grassy plains. The temperature dropped sharply as they wound through the mountain pass, and the air became thinner. Only Vincent and Sephiroth seemed not to feel the effects of the altitude; the others needed to stop and rest often. Toward the end of the afternoon, they were able to see the bottom of the mountain and the snow-covered field past it.

"We'll camp down there," said Cloud, pointing. "As uncomfortable as the snow will be, it'll be easier to set up tents on flat ground. It should take about an hour or two; everyone ok?" At the nods from everyone, he stood shakily. "I'll be glad when I'm in my sleeping bag. Don't think I could take much more of this."

He glanced over at the General, as if expecting him to say something cutting in return. To his surprise, it appeared as if the man hadn't even heard him. Instead, he seemed to be paying close attention to Aeris, who looked very small and fragile under her white quilted cloak. She would have been barely visible against the snow but for the red triangles that edged the border of the heavy fabric. She looked exhausted from the trek, but she smiled brightly at her lover in answer to some question of his.

Turning his blue gaze back down the trail ahead of them, he sighed, then picked up his pack. They had a long way to go.

*****

As soon as dinner was finished, everyone decided to retire early. Aeris went to curl up in her tent, saying that she wanted to talk to the Planet. Going to Sephiroth and kissing him on the cheek, she whispered, "Don't be long, love. I'd really like your warmth tonight."

He grinned in reply. "Then I'll be there in a moment." He watched her take a small lantern into the little shelter, then, just as she was silhouetted on the wall, she extinguished the light. He sighed, looking around. Tifa would be taking first watch, and he wanted a word with her before he joined his lover.

The brunette came out of Cloud's tent, blushing, he noted with amusement. She looked as though she'd been quite thoroughly kissed. He waited for her to sit down by the fire across from him before speaking.

"I wanted to talk to you," he said, and she jumped.

"Oh, Sephiroth, it's you." She laid a hand over her heart. "I didn't even notice you there."

He raised an eyebrow. "And you're on first watch tonight?" He smiled, to show there was no malice behind his words. "I feel safer already."

She didn't seem to know how to reply to his light jests. Angry Sephiroth, insane Sephiroth, cold Sephiroth, she knew how to handle all of those men. But this, the quiet, gentle Sephiroth, who seemed to have a sense of humor, who smiled, and laughed, and looked at her friend with such tenderness—this man was a mystery to her. "I—well, right. I guess I should be paying more attention, right?"

He looked up at the cloudy sky. "Well, it's all right this once. I was out here, after all." The Mako eyes caught her burgundy ones. "It seems you and Strife have—worked out some of your differences, yes?"

She blushed again, studying her hands. "Ah, I guess you could say we did." Her mind was confused. She wasn't sitting here, talking about her love life with the man who had burned her home to the ground, and killed everyone she grew up with! It couldn't be! She looked back up at him again, to find him regarding her with a slight quirk of his lips. It wasn't the familiar, I am superior' smirk, this was more like a genial, Caught you' expression, something she'd see on a friend's or brother's face, teasing her.

"What do you want?" she whispered, suddenly fearful. "Is this some game you're playing? I don't understand!"

The smile disappeared, and instantly a subtle sadness came over him. "I apologize for making you think this is a game, Miss Lockheart. I simply remained behind so I could talk to you about," he let the thought hang in the air.

She felt her eyes tear up. _I will not cry, not in front of him. I won't give him the satisfaction of hurting me again._ "About what?" So help her, she'd make this difficult for him.

"About Nibelheim. Your father. Everything after that." He had dropped his own gaze to the tips of his black boots. I wanted to tell you—that I am sorry."

Sephiroth was apologizing? To her?!

He continued. "There is nothing I can do to undo the damage and grief I have left in my path. If I could, please believe me, I would. Their faces haunt me still, the men and women and children."

She stood, for once towering over him as he sat dejectedly in front of the fire. "No, you're right, there isn't anything you can do. How could you have killed them? What were you thinking? What was so terrible in your life that you had to destroy the lives of all those people?" The tears couldn't be stopped now. She was shaking in fury. She wanted him to give her some excuse, any excuse, so she could launch herself at him and scratch his eyes out, break the bones in that handsome face, kick him as he lay on the ground. Anything to make him feel the pain he had caused her.

He looked up at her, eyes glowing softly, brow knitting in sorrow. "I have no excuse, Miss Lockheart." Turning his head, he stared into the fire. "There was no good reason for any of it, and that is why I am sorry."

She had expected a reason, something like, I had a bad childhood,' or, Because I was insane,' but he hadn't said that. Instead, he had said the one true thing. _I have no excuse, Miss Lockheart. I am sorry._

Suddenly, she realized that the reason the man sitting before her barely resembled the one she remembered—was that he wasn't that man. Here, in the camp of AVALANCHE, was a man who regretted his actions. She had felt it, the apology, as though a chorus of voices were supporting him behind his words. _He is sorryhe wants a new life, a new chance_

He stood up and met her eyes. "I came to you first, because I have hurt you the most of all. I don't expect you to accept my apology right away. Please, think about it. I will understand if you decide not to forgive me, but until you do, I will never be able to forgive myself. And if I cannot do that," he hesitated, looking back at the tent he shared with his love, "Then I will never be worthy of her." A flash of pain crossed his face, so swiftly she barely caught it, but it had most definitely been there. He faced her again, bowing slightly. "I will leave you now. Good evening."

As he moved toward his tent, her hand caught the sleeve of his leather coat. "Wait."

He turned slowly. "Yes?"

She searched his eyes with hers, looking for some hint of indifference, or evil, or anything that would show her he was lying to her. Instead, she saw intense pain, sorrow, self-loathing. "I—I can answer you now."

He cocked his head to one side, expression carefully blank. She saw the mask as it fell into place, but now she knew the truth. Under all that cool exterior of marble and snow, he hid emotions that ran fathoms deep. And he truly was sorry.

She drew a deep breath. "Sephiroth, I...I f-forgive," she forced the words from her lips, pushing aside the old grief, the comfortable vengeance. Louder, more clearly, she repeated it. "I forgive you." She couldn't see him anymore, the haze of tears blinding her. "I forgive you." Her legs wobbled, then gave out as she collapsed to the ground.

Before he knew what he was doing, he had caught her before she fell. He held her close for just a moment, letting her words sink in, then set her down gently. He knelt in front of her. "Miss Lockheart?"

Tifa sniffled, quickly getting herself under control. "I'm fine," she said, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her parka. "Ugh, I hate crying when the weather is so cold, y'know? The tears just freeze right on your face." She smiled weakly up at him.

He returned the smile. "I wouldn't know, but I will take your word for it."

She waved toward his tent. "Go on, I'm sure she's waiting for you."

His expression warmed a bit more. He stood to go.

"Oh, and Sephiroth?"

"Hmm?"

"If this is the new you, I don't think you have to worry about being worthy. Of anyone."

She caught the suggestion of a grin, but he didn't say anything else as he walked away.

A light snow began to fall as Tifa looked up at the sky, the flakes landing softly on her face, washing away her tears. _I hope you understand, FatherI think I doEveryone deserves a chance at forgiveness._


	16. Jenova's Next Attempt

Oh, this was too perfect.

The little chit was off talking to her Planet, and apparently when she did so sometimes, she left her body unguarded. Right now, it rested peacefully, emptily in the arms of her lover.

Jenova's son.

The creature cackled mirthlessly. It had been days since she'd been able to contact the man. Something about the valley they had hidden in made it difficult for her to keep in mental touch. She resolved to never, ever let him out of her sight again. Sending a simple nightmare to the girl had drained much of her power, and she had had to wait for almost a week before they were within range to try again. She realized now how much of a distraction the girl was. Simply put, she had to go.

Jenova knew that the girl was still an innocent; her friends still distrusted and hated Sephiroth. This could all work out beautifully! She would ruin the girl and get her son back, all at one fell swoopCarefully, she sent a mental projection into the girl's body.

*****

_Must tell you something about Cetra, child. Have waited too long._

_What is it, dear Friend?_

_Remember dream he had of you? Wings?_

_Of course! _She laughed lightly. _He has that dream a lot._

_Reason for dream_the voice cut off suddenly.

_My Friend?_

_Something is not right_

_What? _She leaned her back against a smooth crystal. She glanced over at her body, safe within her beloved's arms.

Then, her physical body stirred.

Confused, the girl looked down at her dream form. A sense of dread came over her, just as the Planet let out a terrible scream. Blackness and fury, righteous anger directed at somethingthe something that now inhabited her body. Something terrible, dangerous

Alien.

_NO!_

*****

Jenova opened her eyes and looked around carefully. There was only one person standing guard, the "altered" one with the claw. "Sleep," she whispered, pointing one finger at him.

Vincent yawned, then noiselessly tumbled to the ground. Jenova smiled, then trailed waved her hand in the direction of the others' tents. "Sleepall of you, just in case." She looked over at the handsome man sleeping beside her, one arm flung over his eyes, the other curled protectively around the body she had borrowed. "Not you, however, my sonwake up."

He felt soft, sweet lips brushing against his, felt her leaning over him. He smiled and pulled her beneath him, chuckling. "Ah, what's this? Can't sleep, hmm?" He opened his eyes and gazed down at her. Her smile waspossessive? Calculating? Evil?

A jolt went through him. _This isn't right_

At the same time, a jangling warning burst into his mind from the Planet. _WRONG!! NOT-HER! NOT-HER! _A confusion of black anger and blood. _WRONG WRONG WRONG!!_

The girl lying on her back looked amused. "Something bothering you, my son?"

"Jenova!" he hissed her name like a curse. "What have you done to her?!"

"Nothingyet," she purred, gliding her hands over his chest. "She was off communing with her Planet for a while; I'm just borrowing her body." She looked down at herself. "Hmm, it is attractive, isn't it? I can see why you like it so much."

He tried to pull away, but suddenly her hands were on his arms, holding them in an iron grip. "I don't want you going anywhere just yet, my son. I have been trying to talk to you for days. Are you saying you're not happy to see your mother?" Her eyes looked hurt, her mouth pouting. "Come here, give us a kiss."

"You bitch!" He glared down at her in disgust, which made her laugh. His beloved's laugh. "How dare you! How dare you desecrate her body like this?"

She smiled, a dark, secretive smile. "I told you, I'm just borrowing it for a while. But what would you think if I said that you were the one who would be, how did you put it? Ah, desecrating' it? How do you think she'll feel when I let her come back to her senses, just after you've taken certain liberties with it? She won't realize that it was my doing, and you can claim what you wanther trust will be shattered, it will be too late. She'll finally see you as the monster' all her friends say you are."

He blanched in horror. "You wouldn't. I won't."

She giggled again. "I have the power to make you do it." She arched seductively against him, one hand still holding him down, the other trailing down over his chest, his stomach "Mmmmyou see? Even if she's not around, you still like this pretty little shell." Suddenly, her voice and expression changed to one of innocence, a light blush appearing on her cheeks. "Oh, Love, pleaseI want you," She sounded so much like herself

_Oh, gods, this isn't happening!_ Delicate hands roamed over him, the beautiful face looking so much like his lovewas Jenova still there? Was this, perhaps, his love come back to her senses? He stared at her, hypnotized by the deep green eyes that enticed him, invited him to do anything he desired. He fell further under her spell, his own hands now pulling her closer, his lips murmuring her name as he bent his head to kiss her

_Not-her!! NOT-HER!! _The Planet's scream cut through him like a sword. Coming back to himself, he realized in horror that he had been about to—to—

_It cannot hear. It does not know of Inside! Your love is Inside! Must help!_

_How do I get her back? _He thought desperately as the beast he despised wound his lover's hands into his hair. _Help me! Planet, help me!!_

The black, angry flames were swept away by two words: _Kiss her._

_Jenova?_

_NO. Think she-who-loves-you. Not-My-Child will flee. It cannot fight a strong Bond._

_Think of herAeris! Aeris!! AERIS!! _He closed his eyes and focused all his being, his anger, his fear, his passion, into one furious, burning, perfect kiss.

Jenova opened her eyes in delight. _He's falling for it! Oh, wonderful! Now, if I justwhat? What is this?!_ A thread of gold spun past her consciousness. Before her mental sight, it thickened, as other threads joined it, until it appeared as thick as heavy ropeand still, it grew, and spooled past her. She suddenly saw her carefully-worked spell disintegrating before hersomething echoed in her mind, a voice calling out in the darkness

_AERIS!!!_

Jenova screamed.

*****

She was huddled in a corner, Inside, watching her body slowly seducing his. She saw the images flickering above their heads, the ones above hers showing jealousy and anger, hatred for her very existence. She realized what had happened. Somehow, Jenova had gained control of her form while she spoke with the Planet and her lover slept. She saw what her enemy had planned; hoped beyond hope that he would be strong enough to resist. The images above his head were a confused turmoil of disgust and desire, fear and pleasure. The moment the Planet's voice had cut through the spell, though, she gained an extra measure of hope.

Immediately, she leapt to her feet, screaming his name until it her throat was raw. She screamed, sang, cried, spoke, whispered, just his name, like a mantra of love.

And suddenly, she was back in his arms, weeping, clinging to him, surging upward to meet his passionate assault on her mouth. Both of them were drenched in sweat, hair dripping from the exertion. He broke away abruptly, roughly putting his hand beneath her jaw and forcing her to look up at his eyes. They searched hers for what seemed like hours, and she crumbled under the fierce scrutiny. He breathed a heaving sigh of relief as she buried her head against his chest and sobbed.

His arms circled her, hugging her tightly, just as she wrapped her own around his broad torso as much as she could. Around them, the effects of the sleeping spell were wearing off. Vincent was first to wake, to see from the light in the tent that they were holding each other and weeping as though they thought they would be torn apart. Alarm crossed his features, and he rushed to their side. The others were coming out of their own tents now, as well, shaking their heads groggily.

"What happened?" He swept in beside them. The girl was in near-hysterics. They both looked like they'd just fought a battle. The rest of the group stood by the door, everyone talking at once. He motioned for silence and asked again. "Sephiroth, what happened?"

"Jenova came." He spat the words out as if they tasted bad. "She took over Aeris's body and—," he didn't finish the sentence. Instead, he held her more tightly, rocking her gently. Sweeping the limp hair from her forehead, he whispered, "Oh, loveI fought her, I'm so sorry, I almost,"

"I saw you," she interrupted, ignoring the others, "I was Inside. I could see what she wanted. She wanted me to hate you. She thought you would come back to her if I sent you away." She hiccupped. "I—I heard you calling my name. I felt the Bond grow. I think—I think it hurt her, somehow. She can't break it, remember? N-not directly." She pressed closer to him. "I screamed so you would hear me."

"I heard you. I felt you come back." He kissed her temple.

Cloud was confused. "What are you talking about? Jenova was here? Why didn't we know about it?"

Vincent caught his eye. "She used Sleep on us. I think she tried to use Aeris to get at Sephiroth." He fixed his red gaze on the couple. "Do you think she'll try that again?"

"No," they said in unison. They looked at each other, then both looked back at Vincent. As one, they shook their heads. Vincent sighed wearily.

"Then the two of you, rest. We'll all keep watch for the rest of the night. We can figure out the rest in the morning."

*****

They slept until the sun rose high in the sky. Both were totally exhausted by the battle of wills; it had left them drained and aching. He was the first to wake, and decided to let her sleep while he made plans with AVALANCHE. As he stood and stretched, he tentatively thought, _Planet?_

The barest mental touch, soothing to his bruised mind. _Here._

_Watch over her while I talk with the others?_

Gentle green, the shade of his eyes. _No need to ask. Already am._

Feeling sheepish, the thought to himself, _Of course. I feel stupid._

_Do not. _The green rippled. _Glad you think of her first._

_I don't know if I can get used to this. Talking with you, I mean._

_Will. Have already. Good thing._

_Right_He suppressed a shudder at the thought of what might have happened last night if he had not heard its warning. _Umm, Planet?_

_Can call me Friend._

_Huh?_

_Am your Friend. She says dear Friend'only Planet' when angry. _A definite sensation of laughter.

He smirked. _Kind of like a mother using her child's full name when he's in trouble?_

_Exactly._

_Then, my Friend, I thank you. Even if no one else believes me, I love her. I would never hurt her. I think you know that. I don't think I can hide anything from you. And I want you to know that I am grateful to have you on my side._

_Thankful to have you, as well._

He caught the meaning behind the thoughts. _I could have been on the other side. I was, and I am glad to be here now. I can't magine life without her._

Peace. Serenity. _Go talk. Will keep her safe._

With a lighter heart, he went to his lover's friends.


	17. Snow

"We need to think about where we're going." The General spoke without preamble, walking up to the others huddled around the tiny fire.

Barrett shrugged, irritated. "Where do you get off giving orders?" he rumbled.

He didn't rise to the bait. Ignoring the question, he turned to Cloud. "I know we are headed to Cosmo Canyon, but we need to resupply. There's a town nearly due West from here, Icicle Inn. It's a resort town. We should head there, then go to the coast."

Cloud looked at his former rival with a measuring gaze. "You're worried about her, aren't you?" he asked gently, if a bit sadly. Sephiroth nodded, then, noticing the amazement mixed with distrust on the others' faces, his mouth quirked up at one corner.

"It appears my presence is...unsettling. I will let you discuss my suggestion. If you need me, I'll be over there." He indicated the edge of camp with a wave. At Cloud's nod, he inclined his head to Tifa and turned to go. Soon the sounds of Masamune whipping through katas cut the cold morning air.

"He's definitely changed," Cloud said softly, "For the better." Tifa put her arms around him and nodded in agreement.

Everyone looked at them in surprise. They had all been ready to hold him down if he decided to take offense at the other man's suggestion. Nanaki recovered first, silently noticing how strangely relaxed Tifa and Vincent were.

"Somethin' goin' on here we don't know about?" demanded Barrett.

"Yeah, since when aren't you trying to kill each other?" Yuffie piped up.

"Friggin' weird," said Cid.

"Spooky," supplied Cait Sith.

"Actually," Nanaki grinned, "I think we need to be brought up to speed, eh, Tifa? Vincent?"

Vincent's red eyes smiled in his dark way. "As usual, the most perceptive person is the scholar."

Shrugging, Nanaki said, "I merely observe and think things through." He sounded very pleased, however.

The golden claw gestured. "I spoke with Aeris the first day we met up in the valley. She convinced me that she truly loved Sephiroth. I take her words at face value. I'm quite certain the girl couldn't lie about her feelings if she tried, and I give her enough credit to know her own heart. I am willing to trust him."

Cloud spoke. "Aeris talked to both of us that night, too, when we went to apologize to her. She essentially said the same thing to us...with a few things that opened my eyes, as well." His glance flicked over Tifa's face and he smiled faintly.

She took a deep breath. "My tale is the most compelling, though, I'm sure. Just last night, when I was on watch, he...asked for my forgiveness." Barrett's jaw dropped.

"Goddamn." Cid seemed as shocked as anyone had ever seen him.

Yuffie pursed her lips thoughtfully. "How do you know he wasn't just pretending?"

Tifa sighed. "Trust me. I know."

Cloud looked askance at her. "You failed to mention that last night."

"I'm sorry...I just needed to let it sink in."

"Well?" Yuffie planted her hands on her hips.

"Well what?"

She made an exasperated sound. "What did you tell him? Did you tell him to go to hell? What happened?"

Another sigh. "I forgave him."

Silence, broken only by the sound of Masamune's complex path through the air at the edge of the camp.

*****

_How is she, my Friend? _The blade whirled about him.

_Tired...will wake soon. Needs warmth, true bed..._

_I know. I told them about Icicle Inn. We're going there first._

A surge of worry. _Good. She is weak. Needs help._

The blade stopped moving as he drew his arms up, the shining steel held horizontally at eye level beside his head.. He stood perfectly still, eyes narrowing in anger. _She is still in danger, isn't she?_

_Yes. _A whisper of concern.

He sheathed his weapon and spun to go back to the tent. He found himself face-to-face with Cloud. The younger man took a step back at the expression on his face. Immediately the mask fell into place. "Excuse me. I didn't hear you approach." He began to walk around the boy.

_Sephiroth, of all people, didn't notice me?? _"What was that? You blanked out for a moment there. I came to tell you that the others have agreed to go to Icicle Inn."

He gave a curt nod in reply, choosing not to answer the direct question. "Good. We need to get moving immediately."

"They're already packing. Sephiroth, what's wrong? It looked like you wanted to kill something."

"She's still in danger."

"What?! You mean Jenova could do—whatever it was she did, again?"

"No, but she won't leave Aeris alone for long. I have a very bad feeling about this." A note of helplessness crept into his voice. "I'm not letting her out of my sight."

Cloud stared after him as he entered the tent. _He's afraid? The unflappable man who never even trembled when faced with hordes of enemies charging him across the battlefield? And what's going on with the daydreaming? He pulls thoughts from the air, continues conversations with Aeris as though he could read her thoughts. He's acting just like Aeris when she talks to the Planet._

The thought brought him up short, made his blood run cold. _No, it couldn't be. I don't even want to think that. _He saw the other man moving around in the cramped space, heard Aeris's muffled question and an answering murmur in Sephiroth's deep melodic voice. He decided to help break camp with the others. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew Sephiroth would take care of her, regardless of what the others thought.

*****

They trudged through the heavy, calf-deep snow, wrapped in cloaks and coats. Even Sephiroth buttoned his leather trenchcoat up all the way to his neck, though he seemed to be unaffected by the cold otherwise. He walked just ahead of Aeris as though he were strolling through a field of flowers, clearing a path for her so she wouldn't have to struggle so much. However, this was no ordinary stroll; he was heavily on alert, all senses open, eyes scanning the frigid drifts like a bird of prey looking for a mouse. The others cast glances at him throughout the morning. His tension put them all on edge.

Aeris, meanwhile, had resorted to using her staff to help her along. _Why am I so tired? I feel drained._

_Love, are you all right? _His thoughts were soft as a caress.

She paused in her stride. _I feel so tired. And I hate this._

He waited, looking over his shoulder at her. _I know. You've been dealing with this considerably well._

_You think so? I can't stand always being the weak one._

A playful smile warmed his eyes as he rubbed the cheek she'd slapped days ago. _I will never make the mistake of thinking you're weak, ever again. _He was rewarded with an impish grin from her.

_Well, now you know better. _She began to move forward again, when both of them froze in place. Some internal alarm went off in their connected consciousnesses, and her eyes widened in terror. The rest of AVALANCHE had stopped and was looking at her curiously. As her face turned as white as her cloak, she whispered, "She's coming."

Then, before anyone could react, her entire body went rigid in pain. Her head snapped backward as she screamed, then her legs buckled and she fell to the snow, arms covering her head as though to ward off a beating. Sephiroth was upon her, mentally throwing shields around her mind, and he felt the furious assault that Jenova had launched against her.

_KILL KILL KILL KILL STUPID CETRA BITCH YOU WILL PAY HE WAS MINE YOU RUINED HIM BITCH I WILL DESTROY YOU AND I WILL ENJOY TEARING YOUR MIND APART WITH MY FINGERS BITCH_

The shields set themselves in place. It was a temporary measure; though he was exceptional at keeping things hidden inside his mind, he had never been very good at keeping things _out._ The girl went limp in his arms, whimpering pitifully. He gathered her to him, the fear he had been suppressing all day now etched plainly on his face. "I'm here, love, please stay with me. I will hold her off as long as I can." Already, pain was beginning to creep into his head, unaccustomed as he was to shielding someone else.

Slowly, she began to breathe normally. "I think she's retreated now," she said shakily.

_Not finished. Will return._ The Planet's warning was tempered with soothing music that reminded her of Elmyra stroking her brow when she was a child. She drifted in and out of wakefulness.

The music failed to ease her lover's thoughts, however. _What?_ He pulled her closer. _You mean she's going to have to suffer like this again? No!_

_...Must hurry, then. Bond can help. Permanent._

Sephiroth looked up earnestly at the people surrounding them. "I know what needs to be done to help her, but it means leaving you all behind. I can carry her to Icicle Inn; when we're done, we will wait there for you."

The others looked at Cloud for his decision. Tifa had knelt on Aeris's other side. It appeared she was trying to keep from crying as she held her friend's hand. Aeris seemed smaller than ever, her normally creamy skin now rivalling the snow in its pale translucence. Her eyes were closed, her breathing still shallow. He imagined he could see her life being sapped away as they waited. He met Sephiroth's desperate Mako eyes. "If you can help her, then I will not stop you. I—I trust you to save her."

Immediately, the General stood with her in his arms, adjusting the red-edged cloak to cover her as much as possible. "I can do it," he said, "Just don't be angry with me when you get there."

Cloud's countenance hardened. "What do you mean? What exactly are you planning?"

Vincent stopped him by placing his clawed hand on his friend's shoulder. "I will accompany them." He looked the silver-haired man up and down. "I can keep up with him easily."

Sephiroth snorted. "If you can, I will not stop you from coming."

Nanaki stepped forward. "I, too, will follow. My people are designed to cover great distances swiftly."

Cloud looked at the two volunteers, then back up at the silent General. "Fine. We'll meet at Icicle Inn as soon as we can get there."

The two men and the red beast nodded, then soundlessly turned and leapt into a run. Those remaining were amazed at the speed with which they moved over the snow, as though it were not even there. Within moments, they had disappeared from sight.

Tifa stood, brushing snow from her cold knees, and huddled next to Cloud for warmth. He put an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "We'd better get moving again. At least now we have a trail broken for us."

They tread wearily on.


	18. It's a Nice Day for a

They ran, three blurs of movement across the snowy wasteland, faster than a chocobo could have carried them. The leader, all black and silver, cradled his precious burden close as he leapt over the deeper drifts. He shielded her face from the stinging ice even as he bore the pain himself with the stoicism of a man with a mission. His two companions, the dark man with the golden claw arm, and the brilliant red catlike beast, had kept up with him admirably, much to his surprise. They had run with him, for the rest of the day before and all through the following night, uncomplaining, unspeaking as the miles flew beneath their feet.

Now the horizon behind them was beginning to lighten, the second day of travel. They were all growing weary, but still they pushed their bodies to the limits. They knew that to stop and sleep could spell her death.

The girl stirred suddenly, and he began to slow as the warning hit him again: another attack! As before, the initial pain of Jenova's onslaught made her scream in agony, her writhing body threatening to fall from her lover's grasp. This had happened twice more since the start of their mad dash to Icicle Inn. The silver-haired man was beginning to truly fear for her; each attack lasted longer, grew fiercer, hurt her more. His shields were barely holding in place around her mind. He knew they needed to reach the town very soon.

Nanaki lashed his tail, the only outward sign of his worry. "It's not getting any easier, is it?"

"No, if anything, it's getting worse." His handsome face tried to maintain the old unreadable mask, but it failed. He hugged her fiercely, ignoring the prick of tears in his eyes. "Love, please keep fighting. We're almost there."

Emerald eyes smiled up at him, even as they filled with pain. "I...trust you...love...," she said, voice reduced to the barest whisper. Another cry tore through her, the evil creature screeching in fury at the tender moment. Another shield dropped, shattered by Jenova's psychological battering. A triumphant, malevolent laugh echoed in the girl's head.

_I will kill you soon, you pathetic little creature! He will be mine again and I will get my revenge on you in such a sweet way...I'll have him hurt you just as I tried to do before! No matter what you do, I will get him back and I will kill you... _With that, the loathesome presence fled her mind, retreating for now, but leaving her with the knowledge that it would return.

The girl lay gasping for breath, tasting blood from when she'd bitten her lip to keep from giving in. "She...she knows I'm weakening," she said miserably, "I think next time she won't give up until the end."

The other man, a shadow of black and red, moved forward, gently smoothing her brow with his human hand. "We will do all we can to help you. We're not far from the town now. Try to sleep, all will be well."

His words were comforting to the others, and the girl snuggled closer to her love. He raised his green Mako eyes to the other's blood-red ones. "Thank you, Vincent. And you, Nanaki." He kissed the girl's pale cheek. "I had thought I could do this alone, but...it is good to know that you're here." He looked up at the expanse before them, peering through the fog that shrouded the mountain. "Let's go."

The other two joined him as he began to run again.

*****

A mile outside of town, Jenova attacked once again, this time, drawing out the torture. The men put on an extra burst of speed. They tried to ignore the pitiful whimpers from the girl as she fought with her entire being.

"I hope this plan of yours works," shouted Vincent over the sound of the wind.

"It will," came the answer. Silently, he begged,_ Please, Planet, I hope this works._

_It will._

Suddenly, they were in the town itself, and the silver-haired man ran not to the hospital, as his companions expected, but to a small temple. The others shared a glance and a raised eyebrow before he kicked the door open with one foot.

"A church?" murmured Nanaki thoughtfully. Vincent nodded, following inside.

The room had erupted into chaos. They had unwittingly interrupted the morning religious service, and the room was filled with people. Sephiroth was in full General mode now, sweeping down the center of the room with the girl in his arms, bellowing for a cleric as people dodged out of his way. A teenager wearing the robes of an altar boy stood frozen in fear at the sight. The sacred relic he had been about to place on the altar was gripped tightly between his trembling hands. He gulped when the man strode up to him and asked, very quietly, very threateningly, "Where is the cleric?"

The boy stumbled backward, tripping on the hem of his robe. The relic flew from his grasp, twirled in the air once, and fell to the stone floor. The congregation gasped, realizing that it would shatter when it hit the ground. Many turned their heads, wincing.

A swift hand caught the tumbling relic just before it landed. "Kami's tears, Yev, why didn't you put it down first?" The speaker hefted the item, then extended a hand to help the boy up. "Here, put it back. I'll deal with this."

He faced the man who had barged in and so rudely interruped the morning's religious service. "I am Eron. What, may I ask, is the meaning of this?"

Sephiroth glared at him, then pulled the hood away from Aeris's face. "I want you to marry us. Now."

Vincent and Nanaki looked at each other. Neither of them had seen this coming.

The cleric drew himself up. He was roughly the same height as Sephiroth, with brown eyes in a handsome face. He looked as if he smiled often. His dark brown hair was pulled back with a ribbon to form a club at the base of his neck. He wore the robes of his office with natural ease, and right now, he radiated all the authority of that went along with the position. "You want me to what?"

"I want you to marry us," he repeated, "Right now."

"I will not! You abduct some poor girl and expect me to—,"

"This is not a request! She needs to marry me, or she will die!" The mask was cracking again as desperation began creeping back into his voice.

The girl moaned. "L-let me stand, love."

His attention was suddenly completely focused upon her. "But you're too weak!" he protested.

"Just let me s-stand," she gasped. Reluctantly he lowered her legs to the floor, keeping a firm arm about her shoulders. Eron watched them with interest. Could it be the girl agreed? Was the man telling the truth?

"Sephiroth, what's going on?" asked Vincent softly, appearing at his elbow. Nanaki wound around Aeris's legs, whining.

"There is a bond between us that connects our minds. The Planet says that if we marry, the bond becomes permanent, and Jenova can no longer harm us that way." He paused at a small cry from the fragile woman. He enveloped her in his arms, nearly giving in to the icy fear that had gripped him since the first attack. "Love, I'm here...,"

He felt a hand upon his arm. "Let me ask one question." Eron moved closer to the girl. "Child, do you wish to wed this man of your own free will?"

She smiled, blocking out the screaming monster in her mind. "Yes." The assault doubled, and she drew a ragged breath, digging her nails into her lover's arms.

Eron glanced up at the General's face. He was shocked to his core to see such naked emotion there. Stepping back, he cleared his throat. "Ah, um, right. Everyone!" The congregation sat up and paid attention. "This couple has requested that I join them in marriage. This is an emergency. Please remain, and when we are done, I will continue the service."

The people seemed to react to his words with trust. If Eron said it was all right, then it must be.

Sephiroth indicated his companions. "These two will be our official witnesses. Vincent for me, Nanaki for her." One look at his face told them not to argue. They would sort it all out later.

Eron took a deep breath and began. He kept his eyes on the couple before him. He saw the careful way in which Sephiroth held her, one arm firmly about her waist, the other behind her back, supporting her head with his hand. She seemed to be fighting something inside, and she would stiffen or cry out from time to time. He raced through the ceremony, knowing somehow that by joining these two people, he truly would help to save her life.

Each time she made a sound, Sephiroth held her tighter. He could hear Jenova screeching, felt his last weakened shield beginning to break. _Hurry, cleric, she won't be able to stand it when it all comes crashing down..._

After what seemed an eternity, it was time for the most binding words of the ritual. "Sephiroth, you must repeat these words to me. This is the most important part." Eron caught the other man's gaze. He began speaking the ancient vows, pausing for the response.

"I, Sephiroth, love thee with all my heart."

_Please, love..._

"I will keep thee,"

_Hang on..._

"And cherish thee,"

_I have you._

"For all my days,"

_I need you!_

"Until my death."

_My love..._

"Of my love be certain."

_I love you._

"Now, Aeris? You must hold on. Please repeat these words as well."

"I, Aeris, love thee with all my heart."

_NO!! HE IS MINE!!_

"I will keep thee,"

_CETRA NUISANCE!!! DIE ALREADY!!!_

"And cherish thee,"

_Love, help me!_

"For all my days,"

_I need you!_

"Until my death."

_Augh...pain..._

"Of my love, be certain."

_I love you._

Jenova redoubled, furiously launching against the last shield and crashing through it. Aeris threw her arms about her love, weeping with pain as she forced the final words past her lips. "I am thine, and thou art mine."

He replied, stroking her hair, "I am thine, and thou art mine."

The attack continued, unabated. He thought wildly, _PLANET?? Nothing's happening!!_

_Must be more! Not finished! Needs something else! So close!! _It sounded as frantic as he.

Eron saw him break from a trance, looking desperate. "What's next? There must be more!"

"No! That's the end!" Eron cried. "Only thing left is the kiss!"

_That's it!! _They all thought in unison.

He tilted her chin up, and very, very gently pressed his lips to hers.

_NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!_

Jenova's shriek cut off abruptly as the Bond solidified, threads of molten gold sliding around the two figures, encasing them in a protective shield of thought. They both felt healed as a refreshing, blinding light burst forth, repelling the hated invader before fading into silvery, glittering motes that landed over the assembled people. The tiny flecks shimmered upon contact with anything, skin, hair, chair, floor, flame...then disappeared, like snowflakes of light.

Sephiroth felt her respond with more strength, felt her fingers tracing through his hair. He deepened the kiss, turning them both a little as he did so. It was enough.

Outside, the sun had come out, dispelling the fog and shining defiantly in the sky. A few beams found their way through the stained glass windows, highlighting the people at the altar in myriad colours. When the General turned, the people could all see the girl clearly. She moved against him, wholeheartedly returning his kiss, when she stepped into a patch of golden yellow.

Her hair flared into glorious radiance, freed from its braid at last and hanging as like a curtain of flame about her. When she moved again, a white patch caught something behind her...was it a trick of the light? The result of the light reflecting itself in the room? Magic? No one knew, but they all swore later that they had seen a pair of massive, feathered wings spring from her back. Then the man moved as well, gathering her more securely in his arms, and a bit of blue light caressed a single, silvery wing over his own right shoulder.

Vincent, Nanaki, and Eron looked on in awe as they saw wisps of luminous Lifestream spring up out of the ground at their feet. It began spiraling up, around, over the two lovers, twining in their hair, the wings, anything. It became a column, a windstorm, an inundation of otherworldly green.

Finally, when they pulled apart, the Lifestream seemed to splash lightly down, back to earth, disappearing. The wings were nowhere to be seen. People blinked, rubbed their eyes, tried to find some logical explanation for what they'd witnessed. No one made a sound, save for the ecstatic couple that held everyone's attention. They were clinging to each other, laughing and crying at once. He held her face in his hands, not believing that she was truly all right.

She, meanwhile, was blessing the silence in her head. When the Bond became permanent, she had felt it curing her tattered consciousness. The last day and night had been agony, broken only by the knowledge that her love was doing all he could to shelter her. Now she stood before him, safe within his fierce embrace, and they were married! She turned that joyful thought around and around in her mind. _Married..._

_Good! Good! Together! _The Planet's reaction was a dizzying assortment of brightly-coloured streamers, waving madly in a breeze. _Good!_

Aeris kissed her husband gleefully. A slight cough from behind them reminded her that her friends were standing there. She grinned at them.

Eron was struck by the change in the girl; where there had been a weak, pitiable thing, there was now a healthy, vital woman whose eyes sparkled. She was probably the loveliest bride he'd ever seen.

Vincent and Nanaki, who had remained silent and still the whole time, seemed to come out of their shock. Nanaki bounded forward, rubbing his face on her skirt. Vincent, whose face was a mask to rival Sephiroth's best, placed his claw hand on the other man's shoulder. Smiling faintly, he nodded. "I see why you told Cloud he'd probably be angry with you."

"Hmph. As if I care if he's angry or not." He hugged her closer. "Especially now."

Vincent smiled, for real this time. "I thought you'd say that. Why don't we go leave these people in peace?"

Sephiroth looked down at his new wife, eyes crinkling at the corners as he grinned. "Agreed."

_My wife._

_My husband._

The Planet hummed.


	19. Icicle Inn

The four of them left the temple and headed to the inn that gave the town its name. Not trusting her to be quite fully restored, Sephiroth had swept his wife up into his arms, and so she left the building the way she had come in. Vincent and Nanaki trailed after them, telling Eron that they would return later to take care of the legal issues involved in the marriage.

Outside, the snow was sparkling in the sun, blindingly white. A slight crust had formed, and it crunched beneath their feet as the two men and the beast walked to the inn. All looked forward to the warmth it promised. Aeris giggled. "Love, is this always going to happen? It seems every time we spend the night at an inn, you end up carrying me through the door."

He smiled. "I just hope our stay doesn't end the way it did last time."

Nanaki looked puzzled. "Why? What happened last time?"

"She slapped me."

Vincent and Nanaki, surprised once more, stopped walking and looked at each other. "I must say, I'm glad you're here to witness this," said the dark-haired man, "Because I'm not sure I quite believe everything we sawhappened."

The feline creature gave a wide grin, tongue lolling. "Neither am I. Shared hallucinations, perhaps?"

"Simultaneous hypnosis?"

"Confusion magic?"

Sephiroth had stopped and turned, husband and wife listening to the conversation in amusement. "Are you two coming, or shall we simply let you get your own rooms?" He called. "I was going to pay for everyone, but,"

"We're coming!" cried Nanaki, laughing as he stumbled and accidentally got a mouthful of snow.

The desk clerk nearly fell over himself trying to help them. The Great Sephiroth, here? Staying at Icicle Inn with his new bride, no less?? He was happy to get them settled in two rooms, one for the happy couple, one for their two friends. He reserved additional rooms for the others he was assured would be arriving soon, along with the guarantee of warm fires in all rooms, and a hot dinner awaiting them.

They found the room to be small, but extremely comfortable. He dropped her onto the bed, then went to the door and shut it quite securely, bolting it from the inside. "There, now we don't have to worry about nosy innkeepers." He grinned.

She yawned and stretched on the soft feather mattress. "Come here, husband." At his smirk, she sighed. "Oh, not like that. I'm just, umm, tired," Her eyes danced, though, giving the lie to her words. He hung his coat by her cloak on a wall peg, then sat down to remove his boots.

"Actually, I'm tired too. Remember, I ran for almost two days while carrying you. That's quite a feat, you know."

She sniffed. "And here I thought you always said I weighed nothing. That's it, we get married and poof! There goes the romance."

"Oh really?" he said, putting one knee on the bed. He braced his arms on either side of her shoulders, beaming. "So you didn't find the whole running-for-two-days-and-bursting-into-a-church-to-marry-you' thing romantic?"

"Well, when you put it that way...," she traced his brow with one hand, touched his mouth with the other.

He closed his eyes in bliss. "Hmmm...you know, you did this that first night, when we arrived at the inn."

"I did?"

"Truly." He opened them again, and they glowed softly as he studied her form beneath him. "I didn't think you realized it. You were half-asleep. You said, thank you.' I wanted to kiss you then." He lowered his head to brush his lips over hers. "Thank the gods I finally got around to that."

She put her hands on his shoulders and pulled him down to her. "Thank the gods indeed."

He allowed himself to be drawn downward, seizing her bottom lip with his teeth. He growled deep in his throat, pulling away and returning to claim the rest of her mouth. She rose to meet him, grasping his shoulders as he wound his arms around her. She felt him tugging at her short red jacket, trying vainly to remove it. She laughed at his insistence, pushing him away slightly and obliging him with a shy smile.

"Better?" she asked when the garment hit the ground.

"Much," he replied huskily. He felt the change in the air when she met his eyes that moment; everything became unexpectedly serious. He let his gaze wander over her body, taking the whole image before him. Her hair lay strewn with his over the pillows, framing her face and her now-uncovered shoulders. He noted the way her threadbare dress strained at the buttons with every breath she took, the shadowed cleft that showed over the sweetheart neckline...He looked back up at her face. Her eyes seemed to have grown larger during his perusal, her breathing more ragged. _She's nervous, _he realized, _Gods, I have to remember that she's never done this before. _His face softened. "I'm sorry, it's just...I can't believe how much I wanted this. You. Everything."

"I trust you, love." Her voice sounded very small, but her hand went to the top button, flicking it out of its buttonhole, continuing to the next one, and the next one, and down and down, her eyes never leaving his, until she couldn't reach any more. The faded material clung to her figure still, as though afraid to leave her exposed under the smoldering green intensity of his eyes.

Finally, he allowed himself to look down at her, noticing how his own breathing had become more difficult. The early afternoon sun played over her, creating shadows and streaks of light over her fair skin.

"Please, love...," she said faintly, "Teach me." She put her arms around his neck, causing the dress to fall away as she encouraged him closer. With a groan, he surrendered and covered her with his body, his mind awhirl with passion. 

_I love you I love you I love you I love you my wife mine mine mine_

_As I love you, my husband..._

_Forever._

*****

Tifa shaded her eyes with one hand, wishing she could see the town. Three days of travel through the snow was beginning to take its toll on all of them. Yuffie had stopped complaining after the first day, and was bearing the cold with little more than an occasional sniffle. She glared from time to time at Cid, who had tripped her earlier by "mistake", or so he claimed. Cait Sith brought up the rear, his mechanical body feeling neither fatigue nor cold. Barrett had taken the lead with Cloud, and the two were talking quietly. Tifa caught the tail end of their conversation as she pushed forward to walk beside them.

"...don't trust him. I keep thinking about what he said." Cloud's gaze focused on the path ahead of them.

Barrett's brow furrowed in thought. "What part?"

"The part where he told me not to be angry when I found out what he was going to do. That really bothers me."

Tifa stuck her hands deep into her pockets. "Cloud, we have to trust him. He seemed to know what to do for her; maybe we won't like it, but we have to believe that he won't hurt her. I think he truly has her best interests at heart."

The two men glanced at her, but neither spoke. She pressed on. "Listen, I'm still having a hard time with it, too. Vincent was right, though. We need to accept that Aeris knows her own heart. She has put her life into his hands, willingly. I wouldn't like it if the others suddenly tried to prevent me from seeing you, Cloud."

He frowned. "I didn't go on a murderous rampage, though."

"Point taken. However, I'm starting to believe him. He's so different now, even from when we knew him before all that happened. He laughs, he worries, he even begged us to let him take her ahead. If that isn't a change, I don't know what is." She sidled up to Cloud, nudging him with her elbow. "Besides, he's got Vincent and Nanaki with him. They're both pretty levelheaded. I think Aeris is in good hands."

He sighed and put his arm around her, hugging her to his side as they walked. "I hope you're right." A glimmer of something caught his eye on the horizon, and he stopped, pulling a pair of binoculars from his bag. "What the...Hey! Guys!"

The exhausted group halted in a ragged line. "What's up?" panted Yuffie. Cid lit a cigarette.

Cloud pointed at what he had seen. "Icicle Inn, dead ahead! C'mon, guys, if we make one more good push, we should have a warm, dry place to sleep tonight!"

Renewed, they forged onward.

*****

The fire was the only light in the room. Sephiroth lay beside his wife, her head nestled in the crook of his arm. He let his now-cool green eyes wander over the back of her neck, her shoulder, her bare back that rested against his chest. His other arm surrounded her waist, his hand placed possessively on her stomach. _Mine, mine, all mine,_ he thought drowsily, _mine, mine, mine..._

She said something in her sleep and stirred slightly, moving against him. His eyes snapped wide at the sensation. Nuzzling her ear, he held her closer.

She woke to find herself beneath him as he nibbled on her neck. She chuckled. "Again? Already?"

"It's been almost an hour since the last time," he said, kissing her. "It's your fault, you know."

"My fault? But I've been asleep!"

"Just goes to show you the power you have over me." He gazed down at her. "Gods, you are beautiful. I just can't believe you're mine."

Her lips curled. "And here I thought you belonged to me."

He kissed her again, deeply. "I am thine, and thou art mine," he said against her mouth.

She sighed, contented. "I am thine, and thou art mine."

"My wife."

"My husband—oh!" A low laugh. "Oh, my...you do recover quickly, don't you?"

*****

AN: Hmmmok, what do you think? Was it good for you, too? Another difficult chapter. Review & I'll email you back. *wark*


	20. Vincent Reveals His Hand

Sephiroth savored the sensation of waking up next to his wife. He knew the peace wouldn't last once her other friends arrived, and by his reckoning, they would be here by nightfall. He didn't look forward to the meeting.

Aeris stirred in her sleep, curling more tightly against him. Her breath warmed his chest. He stroked her hair softly, enjoying the way the light played upon it. Finally, she woke, stretching and smiling at him. "'Morning."

His hand drifted to her waist. "It is indeed. How do you feel?"

"I feel...well-loved," she said dreamily.

He grinned. "You should. You are well-loved."

"That's not what I meant." She returned the grin.

Sephiroth looked at the door and sighed. He had hoped for a little more time alone with his bride, but his sensitive ears had picked up the sound of approaching footsteps. Groaning, he hauled himself out of bed. He grabbed his black pants and drew them on. "We have company," he said in answer to Aeris's puzzled expression as he opened the door.

As expected, Vincent was standing in the hall, human hand raised. Nanaki trotted up beside him. Vincent raised an eyebrow at Sephiroth, whether in surprise at the door opening before he could knock, or at seeing the younger man half-dressed and out of bed, Sephiroth wasn't sure.

They all stared at each other until Aeris's plaintive cry of, "Close the door, it's freezing!" She giggled under the blankets.

Nanaki looked embarrassed. "Uh, we were, uh, just going downstairs for something to eat."

Vincent nodded. "We were going to ask you to join us. Unless you're busy," he said wryly.

"Oh, of course not!" Sephiroth waved his hand. "I hoped beyond hope that someone would come and interrupt my idyll."

"Tsk, Sephiroth, sarcasm doesn't become you." Vincent glanced past to where Aeris huddled on the bed, laughing at them. "I do apologize for interrupting, but we need to meet with Eron before the others get here. I have the feeling they won't give us much of a chance, and you two need to make this official."

"Very well." Sephiroth ran a hand through his hair, smoothing back his bangs. "Give us a few minutes, and we'll join you."

Nanaki, still looking apologetic, grabbed the hem of Vincent's cape in his teeth and started downstairs as the door closed. "I can't believe you just went and knocked on their door," he growled around the fabric, "If you'd done that to a couple in Cosmo Canyon, their families would be out for your blood."

Vincent allowed himself to be dragged a bit, then gently extricated himself from the upset feline. "I will remember that, then. However, I meant it when I said we need to get the details taken care of now. I fear that Cloud will be none too pleased with them when he gets here, though it's really none of his business."

Nanaki shrugged. "He still thinks of himself as Aeris's bodyguard. As long as I've known them, Cloud has been overly protective of her." He glanced at Vincent shrewdly. "Speaking of which, I've noticed you defending Sephiroth a lot lately. What's going on?"

"What makes you think I'm defending him?"

The red cat scoffed. "Oh, come on. I'm not blind in both eyes."

They chose a table near the back of the room. There was a bench on one side, large enough for Nanaki to sit on. Vincent settled into one of the chairs and perused the menu. "For one so young, you are both observant and tenacious. I have been defending Sephiroth."

"I knew it! And don't forget, you're not that much older than me physically." Nanaki's tail lashed at the indulgent smile Vincent gave him. "Anyway, we're talking about Sephiroth, and your playing peacekeeper between him and the rest of AVALANCHE. Now, why exactly are you doing so?" His voice took on a scholarly tone, and he sat up on the bench, ears forward.

Vincent sighed. "I promised his mother I would look after him."

"His moth—oh, that sad woman in the cave!" Nanaki remembered the day they had found the secluded place outside of Nibelheim. The ghostly figure seated by a still pond had been candid about her part in the experiment to bring Sephiroth into the world. Lucrecia regretted only that she had never once held her infant son. "But you didn't talk to her, Vin. When did she ask you?"

"A long time ago, before he was born. When she was pregnant."

Nanaki sat taller, eyes wide. "You knew her back then?"

"Yes." Vincent's red eyes filled with pain. "She begged me to watch over him, because she knew somehow that she wouldn't survive his birth." He blinked, and was surprised at how blurry everything looked through tears. Suddenly angry at himself, he rubbed them away. "I haven't done a very good job of watching him, now, have I? I slept the last thirty-one years away in a coffin, drowning in self-pity. I wasn't there to save him from Hojo's mad experimentation, wasn't there when Nibelheim burned, wasn't there when Jenova took his mind and turned him into a puppet. The least I can do is help him find the happiness that was denied to me." Lucrecia's image appeared in his mind, looking as she had in life; brown hair loosely pulled away from her face, glasses balanced precariously on the tip of her nose.

He brushed the image roughly aside, standing. "Nanaki, my friend, I'm going out for a walk. Care to join me?"

Nanaki looked at the cozy fire that warmed the dining room, then back at Vincent. "I can tell you're only asking me because you're being polite. Go on, I'll be fine. I'll wait for the newlyweds."

"You won't wait long, we're here." Aeris's voice came from across the room.

Vincent turned to see Aeris and Sephiroth making their way through the mostly empty tables. They both looked quite happy, if a little flushed. Aeris waved.

While they were still out of earshot, Nanaki murmured, "Maybe you should talk to him, Vincent."

"Talk to me about what?" Sephiroth asked as they sat down. Nanaki rolled his eyes. He'd forgotten that the General's hearing was as good as his own.

"I need to speak with you alone before we go to Eron's." Vincent took a few steps away, saying over his shoulder, "When you've finished breakfast, come find me. I'm going out."

They watched him leave as they gave their orders to the waitress. When she left for the kitchen, Nanaki shook his head. "Something's bothering Vincent."

"That was obvious. Something to do with me, I gather?" Sephiroth idly caressed Aeris's hand as it lay on the table. At Nanaki's affirmative, he looked thoughtful. "I know he was involved somehow with the Jenova project. I also know he was a Turk about the time of my birth. Beyond that, he's a mystery."

Aeris sipped her water daintily. "He's been holding on to a lot of guilt. Maybe he'll open up to you."

The other two looked at her. "Guilt? What did he do?" Nanaki asked, tilting his head to the side.

She pursed her lips. "It's not my place to say. You will have to ask him about it yourselves." She primly folded her hands in her lap.

Any reply to that was forgotten with the arrival of their food. Icicle Inn, resort town that it was, boasted some of the finest chefs in the world. The three of them were ravenous, and they made short work of the elegantly prepared, yet hearty, food.

"Oof. I don't think I could eat another bite," Nanaki said, hopping down from the bench and padding over to the fireplace. "I think I'm gonna take a nap."

Aeris went and scratched him behind the ears. "I never knew you liked sausage so much. I'll remember that for your birthday." She smiled up at her husband. "Maybe you should go find Vincent now. If he's in a talking mood, better catch him while you can. This doesn't happen often." Giving one final pat to Nanaki's head, she stood and hugged Sephiroth.

"What are you planning to do?" he asked, putting his arms around her and hugging her back.

"I need to go shopping." She made a face. "I don't really like to, but this dress has had it. I should find something a little more suited to travel."

"All right. Let's do this, then. Vincent said we needed to meet with Eron as soon as possible. I'll go find out what Vincent wants to talk about, and then we'll meet you and Nanaki at the temple in an hour or so." He handed her a small rectangle of plastic. "Here. Use this, and get anything you need. Pick up something warm for me, as well."

Nanaki opened his good eye. "Wow, is that a credit card?"

Sephiroth shook his head. "No, it's better. The ShinRa Mythril. It's a debit card from my old account, from when I was in SOLDIER. I found it at the bottom of my bag while we were travelling. I checked when I got the rooms; it's still active. No one thought to claim my assets when I disappeared five years ago. I never spent much money to begin with, since ShinRa supplied everything I needed. Nearly every gil I have earned since joining SOLDIER has been sitting and accruing interest all this time." He kissed Aeris on the forehead. "My love, you have married a very, very rich man."

She held the card gingerly, as if afraid it would break. "H-how rich is very rich?"

He kissed her again. "About 10 million gil." Not bothering to hide his mirth at their expressions, he said, "I am, apparently, a multi-gillionaire." He shrugged as if to say, it's nothing,' then turned and strode out of the restaurant, coat billowing behind him.

Aeris and Nanaki stared at each other. Suddenly, Nanaki's mouth opened in a wide, almost canine grin.

"Shall we hit the shops?" He suggested, eyes twinkling.

*****

Sephiroth strode out into the cold, the late morning sunshine glinting off his hair. He had always liked the North and the snow, the cold clean air, far away from the cities of the lower continents. The valley where he had taken Aeris had been one of his favorite places to escape when he needed peace in his mind. Only one person lived there; the Chocobo Sage, and he hardly ever left the boundaries of his little house and yard. _She loved that place as much as I do, _he thought, _Perhaps when this is over, we'll be able to go back. I will remember how she looked wading in that stream until the day I die._

Vincent was crouched upon a low-hanging tree branch in a large evergreen at the edge of town. Though he gave no outward sign, Sephiroth knew the other man was aware of his arrival. He paused below the tree, arms crossed over his chest, and waited for Vincent to speak first.

It was a long time to wait. He sensed the older man was trying to find words, so he kept silent. Again his thoughts wandered to Aeris. She had coaxed him back into bed after he had closed the door on Vincent and Nanaki. He shivered at the memory of her expression, teasing and serious all at once. She contained an innocent delight combined with a growing understanding of the things that happened between men and women. Still unsure of herself, she would blush furiously if he whispered his desires into her ear, but respond with wild abandon once he showed her what to do...

"It feels good to love another, doesn't it?" Vincent's voice startled him back to the present. Sephiroth noticed that the other had been watching him for a while.

"What?"

Vincent looked back out over the snow field. "I said, it feels good to love someone else, doesn't it?" Though his face was still turned away, the red eyes regarded him out of their corners.

Sephiroth's green ones met them, then dropped their gaze to his hands. "Yes," he nearly whispered.

A sigh from Vincent. "Tell me about her." At the younger man's shocked look, he chuckled. "No, nothing too personal. I want to knowwhat makes you love her. How did it happen? Why Aeris? Did you know right away, or did it take time? That is what I want to know."

"Why?"

The dark-haired man shifted his position slightly. He let a minute go by before he answered. "I have many reasons. I have been keeping an eye on her since I met her. Also, she reminds me of your mother. In her gentleness. Her serene smile."

Sephiroth considered that for a moment. "You mean my real mother, don't you? Not Jenova."

Vincent nodded, very slightly. "Lucrecia." His voice caressed the name as he said it.

"Tell me about her."

Another soft chuckle. "I asked you first."

"Fine." He sighed, running his hand through his silver hair again. "It didn't happen right away. I wanted to—to protect her. That was my first thought. She's not strong enough to hold her own in a fight, even if her magic is more powerful than mine. Then I kissed her" his voice drifted as he thought about that first night in the inn. "There were a million voices telling me that it was right. I know now it was the Planet, trying to play matchmaker."

The dark eyebrows rose. "You can hear the Planet? That is news."

"It's an adventure. Like having a benign mother-in-law always hovering around." Sephiroth smiled faintly. "One that hopes to see grandchildren soon."

Vincent couldn't keep from guffawing. "Ah, that explains a lot."

"It has been very—difficult to keep from giving in. Aeris is beautiful, and—," he paused.

"And?"

A stormy look from Sephiroth. "I thought you didn't want to know that part."

The older man laughed out loud this time. "No, I don't." He hopped down from his perch on the treebranch and stood before the scowling young man._ I have to tell him, _Vincent thought,_ He needs to know the truth. He deserves it._

"Sephiroth, who sired you?" he asked aloud. He was satisfied to see the other caught off guard by the question.

"Wh-who?" Sephiroth was confused. "I—well, I was told that Hojo—," he began.

Vincent silenced him with a gesture from the claw. "Think about it. Don't parrot what you were told." Scorn colored his tone. "Hojo only wishes he could have fathered you. He did horrible things to Lucrecia, but in the end it was all for nothing." The red eyes flared with old hatred.

"I don't understand." 

Vincent moved closer, until they were no more than a handsbreadth apart. "Look at me, Sephiroth, look at my face and tell me what you see." He pulled off the red scarf, unfastened the cape and slung it to the ground. He stood in his black sleeveless turtleneck, wild black hair pushed back from his forehead to reveal sharp features, an aristocratic nose, barely slanted eyes, a strong, yet delicately refined chin, a long, well-toned neck. Though Vincent was a few inches shorter, Sephiroth could not deny what was before him.

Different colors, black where he was white, red where he was green, skin pale from lack of sunlight where he was pale by nature, but it was his own face. 

Staring back at him like a dark mirror, with a soul as tortured as his own.

"You," whispered Sephiroth, in awe. "You loved Lucreciayou are"

Vincent suddenly looked weary. "Yes, Sephiroth." He placed his human hand on his son's shoulder. "We have a lot to talk about."

*****

Aeris dropped her packages off at the room. The hours had flown by, afternoon into evening, and still there was no sign of either Sephiroth or Vincent. The Planet told her that all was well, so she waited at the inn with Nanaki. After dinner, she decided to take a shower and change into her new clothes. When she came back to her room, Nanaki picked his head up from his paws. "Wow, Aeris, you lookolder. Not like old lady older, butwell, it certainly isn't pink!"

She gave him an affectionate pat. "Of course not, silly. It's black. I actually like it a lot." She smoothed the front of the cowl-neck sweater in the mirror, turning around to see how her new jeans fit her. "It will definitely be better for traveling! I bought sweaters for Tifa and Yuffie, too, and jeans for them to match. I hope I got their sizes right. Ugh, I hate shopping for myself, but it's easy to get things for everyone else."

"Oh, and yeah, thanks for the new barrette. Did you get yourself those pretty materia bangles you were looking at?"

"Mhmm." Aeris fished around in a shopping bag and found them, putting them on and fitting the materia from her old ones into the empty slots. "I'm glad I was able to sell my old ones. I hope someone else gets some use out of them!" She sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "Nanaki, maybe we should go look for them. Vincent made a big deal about going to see Eron, but they still haven't returned."

The red cat stretched. "I agree. The others will probably get here soon."

Aeris placed the packages for her friends into the reserved rooms, then grabbed her red-and-white cloak as they went outside into the darkness.

The night sky was clear and filled with stars, the air crisp. Aeris walked slowly through the middle of the town, hugging her cloak around her and smiling. She closed her eyes and let the peace of the evening wash over her.

Nanaki stood by her side, eyes half closed, thinking. _I haven't seen her so happy since...well, ever. Maybe it's a good thing that she married Sephiroth. He's changed, too. I can't believe I ate breakfast with him, and he laughed, for goodness' sake. _He felt the familiar sensation of someone scratching behind his ears, and he looked up to see her smiling down at him. The moon made her pale skin seem even paler, and it found the green deep in her eyes, making them glow nearly like her husband's.

A sound behind them made them turn. Vincent and Sephiroth stood a few yards away, waiting to be noticed. Nanaki was struck by how similar the two seemed, as though they were two versions of the same man. Black hair beside white, shadowed red eyes contrasted with viridian green; but the faces were the same. The same expressionless mask, the same sharp features, worn openly and proudly on one, obscured in shame on the other. _Why haven't I noticed this before? _He wondered. He looked up at Aeris in question, only to see her staring at the sight herself.

_Love..._she began.

_I know. Amazing resemblance, isn't it? _He replied softly in her mind.

_But...how?_

Hesitation. _He's...Vincent is my father._

_Then...Hojo wasn't? Even though the journals said...he claimed..._

Aloud, he said, "Hojo uses manipulation as skillfully as I wield Masamune. And often, the damage he does with a few words is far more destructive than that which I can cause with my blade." A pained expression crossed his face. Aeris wanted to go to him, but she waited.

Vincent put a hand on his son's shoulder. "It seems Hojo fooled us all. He led me to believe for a long time that Lucrecia's son was his own." He grimaced in disdain. "I should have realized that it could only have been wishful thinking on his part. Lucrecia told me herself, when it was too late, after she died."

Sephiroth held his hand out to his wife. "Come on, we don't want to keep Eron waiting." When she took it, he pulled her into a powerful embrace. As he buried his face in her hair, she heard, _I will need you more than ever tonight._

_Soon, Love,_ she replied,_ soon_. 

They walked to the temple in silence. In the cold, moonlit night, the lights inside the old building looked inviting and warm. Eron met them at the door, looking a bit surprised, as though he hadn't expected to see them ever come back. "Please, come in. My office is in the back." They followed him through the darkened church, paths lit only by the candles placed in the windows. To the left of the altar, on the back wall, a door led into a tiny corridor which opened into a small, comfortable room. The young man motioned for them to sit, and he began rummaging around in an ornate roll-top desk.

"Please, make yourselves at home. Would you like anything to drink? Tea?" His voice was muffled. "Ah, here it is." He came up with a huge, dusty tome.

Aeris rubbed her hands together, warming them by the fire. "I guess I was outside longer than I thought. If it's no trouble, tea would be lovely."

"No trouble a'tall. I had just put some water on when I heard you come up." He bustled about for a while, noticing how quiet his guests were. The newlyweds sat side by side on his leather-covered loveseat, faces showing a strange progression of emotions, as though they were having a conversation without words. The dark-haired man had taken up a position by the window, looking out at the snow. The red catlike creature had curled up in front of the hearth, head on crossed paws, flame tail swishing. Eron took a deep breath and brought out mugs of tea for everyone.

"Here you are," he said cheerfully, "Careful, it's hot."

Aeris took hers gratefully, wrapping her hands about the clay mug. Her husband took his, then put his other arm about her shoulders, tugging her over to lean on him. She smiled up at him tenderly, and his stony expression softened.

_Goodness, _thought Eron,_ what a change._ As if he heard that, the silver-haired man looked straight at him, face impassive once more.

"We do not have much time to tarry here," he said in his commanding voice, "So I request that we take care of the details with speed." He looked down at his wife, and Eron could swear he saw a twinkle in the other man's eye. "I find these legal matters...unromantic."

The girl burst into giggles. "Since when did that matter to you?" she said fondly. She snuggled deeper into his arms.

"Since I married one." His lips twitched in a threat of a smile.

_Right._ "Well, everyone, let's take care of the details." Eron opened the book, finding a blank page. "Now, Aeris, may I have your full maiden name, please?"

"Aeris Gainsborough Gast."

Eron frowned in surprise. "Related to Professor Gast?"

"Why, yes. He was my father. I was raised by Elmyra Gainsborough of Midgar. Do you know anything about Professor Gast?"

"He had a house here, in Icicle Inn. I can show it to you, if you like. Since he died, no one has gone in there. The mayor has a key, in case any of his family ever came to go through it."

"I would like that very much, Eron. Thank you." Her smile was a little sad.

"My pleasure. Now, General Sephiroth. Your full name?"

Sephiroth glanced at Vincent, who nodded slightly. Looking back at Eron, he said with a faint rueful smirk, "My name is Sephiroth...LeVrai...Valentine."

Vincent seemed to be pleased, though he continued to look out the window.

Eron wrote the name in his book, unaware of the interaction of the other two men. "What an interesting name."

"LeVrai was my mother's last name. Valentine is my father's." He looked down at Aeris. "I have never used either name before. I have always been just...Sephiroth." He brushed a lock of her hair back from her face. "But I couldn't have people calling my wife Mrs. Sephiroth', now, could I?"

"Ooookay," said Eron, getting everyone's attention back on him, "Now the witnesses. He looked back and forth between Nanaki and Vincent. "Umm, perhaps Sephiroth's witness first?"

Vincent spoke. "My name is Vincent Valentine." He finally turned his red gaze to the startled cleric. "And yes, to forestall your questions, I am Sephiroth's father as well. I trust that it's still all right that I am a witness?"

"O-of course, sir," Eron stammered. He wrote a few notes in the margin of the page. This was getting more and more interesting! Legendary Generals, daughters of mysterious professors, strange quiet men who turned out to be related to said Generals... "Okay, one more to go. What is his name?" He waved at Nanaki.

"My name, sir, is Nanaki, son of Seto." He gave his toothy grin at the poor man's expression.

Eron felt like his eyes were going to burst from his head. He knew the beast was intelligent, but it talked, too? "N-n-nanaki?"

"Yes," came the reply, with startlingly precise enunciation. "My name is Nanaki. N-A-N-A-K-I. I am Aeris's witness."

She patted his head. "Only appropriate. I've known you longer than any of the others, maybe save Cloud. And you and I have been through a lot more together."

Nanaki purred.

Eron wrote furiously in his book for a few more moments. The others patiently sipped their tea. Finally, he looked up at them, arranged in their strange tableau. Vincent, dark and silent, keeping to the shadows but aware of every detail; Nanaki, curled loyally at his friend's feet; Sephiroth, holding his wife, alternating between tenderness and no expression; and at the center of it all, Aeris, managing the currents of emotion around her with ease, somehow knowing just what to say, and when, and to whom.

Eron took a deep breath. "All right, everyone, I think I'm done. If you would each sign your names?"

Aeris beamed as she wrote her new name for the first time. Sephiroth and Vincent shared a glance over her head, both glad it was official. Sephiroth was next, signing in his neat, bold hand, then Vincent's quick scrawl was placed beside it. Nanaki dipped a claw into the inkwell and neatly scribed his own name, once in the common tongue, then in his own people's written language. Eron himself signed the bottom, then sprinkled powder over the page to dry the ink.

"That's it, I believe. Now you two are one hundred percent, officially and spiritually married." He wiped his brow. "Congratulations."

Aeris laughed. "Thank you, Eron. We haven't been the easiest people to deal with, I'm sure." She stood up, wrapping her cloak about her. "I'm sorry to have taken up so much of your time."

The others followed her lead. They made their goodbyes to Eron and went back out into the snow.

When they were gone, he sagged against the wall. _It's a good thing I don't drink, _he thought, _Or I'd be thinking I could use one right now._


	21. Mrs Valentine

Aeris happily murmured her new name under her breath. The four of them had left Eron's office and were strolling back to the inn. She coyly looked up at her husband. "Sephiroth, do you think maybe we could change our names on the hotel registry to Valentine?"

He laughed, the rich sound surprising Vincent, who had never heard it before. "I already did. We stopped there before meeting you." He glanced over at his father. "I hope you did not mind. It wasnice to know I had a name. I would never have taken Hojo's name by choice."

"Not at all. I'm flattered." Vincent looked happy.

"Wasn't there a big story years ago about how you didn't have a last name? And celebrities were copying you, like Tomath' the actor and that singer, Rieka'?" Aeris asked.

"Hmm, I seem to remember something like that." One corner of Sephiroth's mouth quirked upward. "I believe my response was, Hmph, _artists_.'"

They fell silent again as they walked, Vincent and Nanaki ahead and Sephiroth and Aeris behind. Their breath made temporary clouds about their heads in the crisp, frigid air, backlit by the globe-shaped streetlamps. The stars had come out in glorious force while they were in Eron's office. Several times, the four stopped so Aeris could exclaim about a falling star. Her companions were amused at her childlike joy, knowing that she had never seen the stars before she left Midgar. Here, near the North Pole, they carpeted the sky. 

Lost in thought, Vincent stopped without warning. Aeris nearly ran into him, but Sephiroth steadied her.

"Goodness, Vincent," she declared, "A little notice next time?"

"Sorry. I just thought of something. I can't call you Little Sister now, can I? I should be calling you Daughter."

"Oh! You're right!" Her face lit up. "Then I shall call you Father," she said formally.

Sephiroth spoke up. "Ah, what an interesting family we are. All we need now is for Nanaki to reveal that he is actually related to Aeris somehow."

"Well, now that you mention it...Aeris, if Vincent's not your brother any more, I'll take over the job!" Nanaki announced. Aeris knelt and hugged him.

"There you go, Sephiroth. Your new brother-in-law." Vincent studied the cat for a moment. "Though he must take after Gast. He looks nothing like Ifalna."

Aeris's mood changed visibly. Her laughter died away as she stroked Nanaki's thick fur. "I keep forgetting that you knew my parents, Vincent," she said sadly. "I should ask you about them someday."

Vincent touched the top of her head with his good hand. "I apologize. I shouldn't have brought it up." He cursed himself for making her sad. It had been good to see his son find happiness, and even better to know that Aeris was the cause of it. _It's about time,_ he thought, _He's had more than his share of pain. Just like his father._

Aeris stood, brushing the snow from her knees. "Anyway, I want to look at Professor Gast's house while we're here. Perhaps I can learn a little more about my past by seeing the place where my parents lived."

Sephiroth took her hand. "We can go tomorrow. Right now, I want to go back to the inn and get warm." He smiled softly. "Besides, I want to see what you bought with my money."

His words cheered her. Kissing him, she said, "All right. Maybe the others have arrived by now."

_Gods, I sincerely hope not, _he replied in thought. 

She poked him in the ribs. _Hmph. Poor things are probably half-frozen._

He merely smiled mischievously in return.

Nanaki lifted his head, sniffing the wind. "I believe they're here." They could see the inn now, its yellow light pouring out into the snow. Several figures were silhouetted against the windows.

They entered the inn just in time to hear Cloud exclaim, "WHAT? Married?!"

_And so it begins, _Aeris heard in her mind, _Ah, peace and quiet at last._

_Sarcasm doesn't become you_, she admonished gently_. Besides, you knew it would happen sooner or later._

His reply was to put an arm about her waist and pull her back against him. _Maybe they will not attack me if I use you as a shield, _he thought dryly. She rolled her eyes.

Cloud spun to face them. "Sephiroth!" He cried, "What the HELL were you thinking?"

Seemingly unconcerned, Sephiroth looked him up and down. The evil smirk came back as he said, "Hello to you, too, Strife. I believe I can safely assume you have heard the good news."

"You could have told us what you were planning, you bastard!" His worried blue eyes focused on Aeris's face. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Sephiroth snarled, his cool humor evaporated. "You did not just ask her that, Strife, I know I did not just hear you ask her that."

"How do I know you didn't force her into it?" Cloud ignored Tifa trying to hold him back. His hand went to the hilt of his sword. "You could have manipulated her into it for all we know."

Masamune appeared in Sephiroth's grasp. "I warned you about saying things like that, Strife."

_Oh, for goodness' sake. _"BOTH of you, stop it right now!" Aeris cried, stepping between them, arms outstretched. The two men stopped advancing on each other. She glared up at Cloud. "I can't believe this is happening again. I thought you two promised me you wouldn't fight!"

"But, Aeris—," Cloud protested, falling silent at her sharp wave. He scowled over her shoulder at Sephiroth, who seemed to enjoy watching his wife yell at the blond man. Aeris caught the gesture and whirled on her husband.

"And you! Don't think you're not in trouble, too!" She poked a finger into his chest. "WE will talk about this later." Looking at each man, she sighed, aggravated. "Now, may I suggest that we all go upstairs, warm up, and eat a nice hot meal? I think it will be easier to talk about it after you've rested. There's a lot to explain."

Yuffie looked as if she would fall over at any moment. Cid ran a hand over his unshaven face, while Barrett leaned against the counter. Tifa yawned and rested her head on Cloud's shoulder. "Come on," she said, "I agree with Aeris. I want a hot bath."

He looked as if he would argue, then seemed to realize how exhausted everyone was. "Fine," he said, meeting Sephiroth's hard green eyes evenly. "But I expect to hear an explanation in the morning."

"You'll get it, Cloud." Aeris spoke up before Sephiroth could respond.

_Let me at him, _he thought, _I told him I would never hurt you. He needs to learn—_

She grabbed his arm. "I want to talk to you upstairs. Now." Before the astonished members of AVALANCHE, Aeris dragged her husband behind her up the stairs. Too surprised to resist, he followed.

Cid threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, she's got him now. That was worth the goddamn price of admission."

"Never thought I'd see the day that ol' Sephiroth got towed around by a woman," Barrett snorted.

Vincent and Nanaki looked at each other. Hiding his grin with a toothy yawn, Nanaki trotted upstairs to his room. Vincent went after him, pausing to steady the swaying Yuffie. She glanced up thankfully.

"I feel like I'm gonna fall asleep on my feet," she said, gripping his arm. Cloud sighed and began to take some gil from his wallet.

"What are you doing?" asked Vincent. Nanaki halted on the stairs, turning.

Cloud motioned irritably. "I'm getting rooms for everyone. What does it look like I'm doing?"

The desk clerk, glad that no fight had actually broken out, finally piped up, "Oh, General Sephiroth already made arrangements for you." He blinked uncertainly. "You are his wife's friends, aren't you?"

They nodded in unison. Cloud peered at him as though he thought the man was joking. "Arrangements?"

"Oh, yes, the day they arrived. He had me reserve some of our nicest rooms. He insisted they have fires burning at all times, since he didn't know when you would be arriving. He also made certain hot food was available, and extra blankets." The clerk smiled brightly. "Oh, and Mrs. Valentine made some purchases for all of you, let's see, where'd I put the list?" He looked in a file behind the counter, heedless of the stares they gave him.

Yuffie looked at Vincent. "Mrs...Valentine?" Vincent smiled down at her with an indecipherable gleam in his eye. Her expression shifted from confusion to understanding. "Oooooohhhhhh...right...Heh, I'm surprised no one thought of that earlier."

Cloud found his voice again. "What the hell is going on here? I thought Aeris married Sephiroth!" He glared accusingly at Vincent. "Unless you got married, too?"

"No, I certainly did not marry. The man's talking about my son."

"You have a son? Why didn't you tell us?" It still hadn't clicked in Cloud's mind yet. "Is he staying here in Icicle Inn, too?"

Vincent laughed darkly. "You could say that." He turned back to Yuffie, who rolled her eyes when Cloud wasn't looking. "Do you need help? I know which rooms have been prepared." He took her hand and led her up the stairs. Nanaki strolled ahead of them, tail waving.

Down in the main room, the remaining AVALANCHE members were still staring at the clerk. He held up a list and a set of keys. "All right! Let's get you all warmed up!"

They filed after him, Cloud shaking his head in wonder. "He got us rooms? _Sephiroth_ got us rooms?"

*****

In their own room, Aeris and Sephiroth were having a silent argument. It was really more Aeris thinking angrily at Sephiroth, who tried to interrupt her both vocally and mentally, and completely unsuccessfully.

The Planet sent a tiny tendril of thought directly to him, too softly for Aeris to notice. _She is angry. Do not envy you._

Just as softly, Sephiroth replied with humor, _Thank you, my friend. I keep forgetting how angry she can get. She seems so young and childish sometimes, but..._

_Holds her fury in. Then waits. Temper, temper._ A flash of orange, like flame.

He nearly smirked.

**_Are you listening to me, Sephiroth?! _**Aeris's sending was tinged with heat.

_Of course, Love, _he replied, hoping she wouldn't ask him to repeat what she'd just said. He had missed most of it. When she continued, he thought to the Planet, _She is more upset than I thought._

A slightly concerned twinge of aqua. _Perhaps let her finish, then talk with her._ The voices took on a chiding tone. _Should listen to her._

He finally decided to stay quiet and let her rant wash over him. Taking the opportunity to study her, he saw that she was no longer wearing her old pink dress. He admired the close-fitting black sweater with its wide cowl neck, the slim denim jeans hugging her legs and hips. She wore new materia bracelets, he noted with pleasure. She stood across from him, eyes flashing, arms crossed under her breasts. A faint flush had worked its way into her cheeks, and every muscle in her body was taut. She looked absolutely beautiful.

Too late, he became aware that her mind had fallen silent. A hurt look came to her eyes, and he knew she had discovered that he hadn't been paying attention. She stared at him for a long moment, then turned away to sit on the far side of the bed.

_Never mind, _she thought, _Nothing I say is going to make any difference. It never does where you and Cloud are concerned._

_Aeris, please do not say that._

She looked over at him, angry again. _Why not? Dammit, Sephiroth, you promised me! You and Cloud both! _Her hands clenched in her lap as she fought back tears. _As you love me, please, please refrain from killing my friends!_

_It is only the one friend I have problems with. The others are fine. _He climbed over the other side of the bed to sit behind her, putting his arms about her. She leaned back against him.

_I know. And I appreciate that. But Cloud is their leader. And he was my protector before you. _Aeris reached up to touch her husband's face. "I wish you could see how much this tears me apart," she said softly.

Sephiroth closed his eyes, resting his forehead on hers. "I am sorry, love. He just pushes every one of my buttons. Deliberately." He frowned. "He still thinks I am going to harm you. After all this!" He sounded incredulous.

Aeris smiled a little. "You push his buttons, too. Don't deny it, I've heard you. Unless you don't think he's sensitive about being called a short, weak, failure.'"

"That was only because he did not believe that I loved you."

Her expression softened at the distress in his eyes. "He doesn't understand what happened."

"Well, I will have to make him understand." He shifted her in his lap so she faced him. "Maybe I can get the Planet to help."

_Will help if able, _came a soft thought, threaded with violet. Sephiroth chuckled and sent it his thanks.

Aeris hugged him. "We will get the chance to tell the whole story tomorrow. Just do one favor for me."

"Anything."

"Don't let Cloud's words get to you. You need to be the understanding one here, not him. If he seems to insult you, remember that he's doing it to protect me. If you react violently at a few words from him, he won't ever see how you can be gentle with me. However, if you ignore him, or at least don't bait him, perhaps he will come to understand." She twined a lock of his hair about her finger and tugged on it teasingly. "Think you can do that?"

He put his hands on her hips and pulled her up to kiss him. "I will...try."

She sighed. "I suppose that's a more honest answer than, Of course, no problem.'"

"Can we talk about something else now?" he asked plaintively.

She tried to look stern, but failed. "What would you like to talk about?"

He gazed at her hungrily. "I like the new clothes you bought. Black looks good on you." He ran his hands over her waist and up her back, under her sweater. "Of course, I think it looks better off of you."

"You already thought that earlier. Glad you like it." She pushed his shoulders back down to the bed, leaning over him. At his innocent expression, she giggled dangerously. "Just watch out. I heard you talking to the Planet. Your thoughts aren't very private when we're communicating mind-to-mind like that."

"You heard me? You knew I was not listening?" He realized he'd just admitted to not paying attention to her. "I mean, I...,"

"HA!" cried Aeris, "Caught you!" She pointed at him. "I bet you didn't listen to a single word I thought, did you?"

"Well..."

She crossed her arms and sniffed. "I suppose it was too much to ask that you keep your mind on your loving wife, who was doing all she could to keep you alive, but no. You had to stand there and admire my body."

He grinned up at her. "It is quite distracting."

"Really?" She leaned down to brush her lips over his. "How distracting?"

A low laugh was his only reply as he pulled her down beside him.


	22. Cloud and Sephiroth Have It Out Again

Hours later, down the hall, Cloud sat bolt upright in his bed. "VALENTINE! SON! Ugh, how did I totally miss it?"

Tifa stirred beside him. "Huh?"

Cloud stared into the darkness. "Sephiroth is Vincent's son!"

She opened one eye. "You are just now figuring this out?" she murmured sleepily.

Her words sunk in. "What, you knew already?"

Groaning, she turned over. "Cloud, I love you, but you can be so dense sometimes." She pulled the covers up over her head.

"But—but, you knew?!"

She sighed. "Who do you think Vincent meant when he said his son? Someone else?"

"Yes!"

"Go to sleep, Cloud Strife, before I have to get violent."

He fell silent. When her breathing finally slowed again, he crept from the bed and carefully left the room. He descended the stairs to the lobby of the inn, where a different desk clerk sat at the counter.

"Is the bar open?" he asked, jerking a thumb toward the restaurant.

"For another hour or two, yes, sir."

Cloud claimed a stool at the bar, ordering a beer. He rested his head in his hands, trying to make sense of everything. _So, Aeris married Sephiroth. Sephiroth is Vincent's son. Vincent is my friend. Aeris is my friend. Nanaki trusts Sephiroth. Sephiroth kidnapped Aeris. He kidnapped her!_

In the back of his mind, a small voice said, _But you were going to kill her. Jenova controlled you, just like she did Sephiroth. The difference was that she only had you for a few moments. She had Sephiroth for years. What would have happened if it had been you she had taken control over that day?_

_So Sephiroth saved Aeris!_

_From me!_

Guilt boiled up inside him. _I was going to kill her! _He buried his face on his arms, letting out a small moan. _This whole time I've been worrying about Sephiroth hurting her, and all along I was the one he was protecting her from!_

In his misery, he failed to notice another man walk up to the bar. With a sigh, the very person who dominated Cloud's thoughts sat beside him and ordered a glass of wine. "Hello, Strife. Drowning your sorrows?"

Cloud snorted. "What, did you get kicked out of your room?"

A hint of a smile. "No, I have to let her sleep sometime."

The blond tried to ignore the implications of that statement. It must have shown in his face, for Sephiroth smirked.

"Get over it, Strife. She is my wife now. She is happy."

"I find that hard to believe."

The green eyes narrowed. "She is safe with me. You, of all people, should know that. Or did you forget what it was like for Jenova to grab hold of your mind and make you do her bidding?"

That struck a nerve. "And how do you know Jenova won't come back for you? She had you for years!"

"Because I effectively cut the puppet strings connecting me to her by marrying Aeris." He sipped the wine, absently enjoying the vintage. "Aeris is...very powerful. I do not think she quite realizes her potential. You saw her fight Jenova. Even if I were to focus all my energy, all my skill, I would only have been able to survive a few minutes under that onslaught. Aeris fought for days." The memory of how frail she had become caused a fleeting expression of pain.

Cloud saw it, but said nothing. He took a swig of beer. "So what happens next?"

"First, we get our personal issues out of the way."

"You mean without the others?"

"I do not see why we need to involve them. This is—has always been—between us." Flinging his silver hair over his shoulder, the General stood and nodded to the bartender. "Please put our drinks on my account." He looked down at Cloud. "Coming?"

"Where are we going?"

"Outside. That way, my wife and your girlfriend will not hear us, therefore, they can not interfere." He strode purposefully out of the bar and into the night.

Mystified, Cloud followed, wondering, _Doesn't he ever just walk anywhere?_

*****

They walked in silence through the snow. Cloud studied his former idol as they went. His anger was set aside for a moment, curiosity at what Sephiroth had planned winning. There was an air of calm about the older man, a sense of being centered, or something, that wasn't present before. Sephiroth had always been a loner, but even beneath his cool exterior, Cloud and his friend Zack had perceived a seething restlessness. Now, however, that restlessness was gone. It had Aeris's signature written all over it.

They stopped at the treeline, in the darkness beyond the edge of town. Cloud waited impatiently for Sephiroth to speak, crossing and uncrossing his arms, shifting his weight from foot to foot. The silver-haired man stood with his back to Cloud, arms at his sides, a perfect counterpoint of stillness to the younger man's agitation. At last, he looked over his shoulder with an amused glance. "Well?"

"Well what? You're the one who led us out here! I'm freezing to death!" Cloud's voice began to rise in volume. "I don't get it! Why the hell did she marry you?"

"Strife, you fail to make any sense. Start from the beginning. Tell me, why do you hate me? And I am not talking about Nibelheim. I am talking about now. You understood about your hometown the day Jenova took control of your body. Even your Miss Lockheart has forgiven me for that." He peered at Cloud, as if he could see into him and understand his soul. "I want to know, why do you hate me now?"

The question threw Cloud off guard, and he answered truthfully before he could think. "Because you got her!" He clapped a hand over his mouth when he realized what he'd said. Sephiroth regarded him with new interest, knowing that he'd just received an honest answer. Cloud decided it was too late to take back the words, so he recklessly continued.

"That's right, you evil bastard. Of all the people in the world, it had to be you." The young man's voice shook with emotion. "I knew she wasn't mine. I knew it even before she left. But when I was being used by Jenova, it was you who got to save her. It's not fair!" He cried out in agony. "Goddamn it, I hate you! You're my worst enemy! My whole existence for the past five years has been built around stopping you. And now, you're f-cking married to Aeris! Where's the justice in that? She deserved a saint, someone who was worthy of her love. Instead she gets the devil himself, the man who wanted to be a god!"

Sephiroth merely waited, betraying no emotion. Cloud couldn't stop the words from leaping from his mouth, taking his shredded heart with them.

"It should have been the other way around. I was supposed to protect her from you!" He let out an inarticulate scream of frustration. "Why did I have to be the bad guy? Why was I the one she had to be saved from? I love her! Gods, it makes me sick to think about you two together!"

The armor of calm about Sephiroth cracked a bit. "Jenova believes herself a poet. In her eyes, it was the most fitting thing to have you kill the very thing you loved most. It would have worked, too, except the Planet intervened."

"Right! I keep forgetting that you and the Planet are friends now! How nice!" Cloud spat. "So not only do you make me look bad by saving Aeris, you now have the Planet singing your praises!"

"Cloud, I am sorry. There's nothing I can do to change your mind. If you want to hate me, go ahead. Aeris disagrees, and whether you believe me or not, I love her, too. You do not have to protect her any more. That is my job now."

Cloud stood toe-to-toe with him. "I don't want you to protect Aeris! I want you to die!" He drew himself up to his full five feet, nine inches, staring furiously into Sephiroth's eyes. Desperately, he screamed, "Why did it have to be you?"

Sephiroth took a deep breath, closing his eyes. _I will not kill him. I will not kill him._

The Planet's voices spoke. _Open eyes. Look. _

He obeyed.

A green whirlwind had surrounded the two of them, rising from the snow at their feet. Cloud was alarmed for a moment, then comprehension dawned. He looked at Sephiroth, who seemed unworried to be caught in the middle of the swirling Lifestream. Then the images began.

*****

_Sephiroth descending, Masamune in hand, to kill Aeris as she prays. A command from nowhere, and his face changes from insane delight to horror. Cloud's sword raises to strike down the young woman. Sephiroth lands, left arm sweeping Masamune up in a short arc to intercept the wide blade, right arm surrounding Aeris's waist and pulling her out of harm's way. Then running, fast as an airship, running away with the cries of her friends echoing in his ears, with the beautiful girl cradled carefully in his arms._

_Aeris looking up at Sephiroth as he sleeps, blushing when he wakes. Aeris brushing her hair. Sephiroth leaning forward and whispering in her ear. Sephiroth pulling her into his embrace, seizing her mouth, Aeris responding. A nosy innkeeper, an expression of fury in Sephiroth's eyes, a flash of desperation and desire._

_Aeris and Sephiroth in a stream, arms about each other, green Lifestream surrounding them._

_Sephiroth kneeling, clutching his head, horrified, guilt-ridden. Masamune beside him, forgotten. Faces of victims pressing in at him, taunting him. Red despair. Terror. Repentance. Then Aeris, hair aflame in the sun, red-brown wings arching over him as she whispers to him. Peace._

_Aeris in pain, her mind being torn apart by Jenova. Sephiroth watching helplessly, then running with her again, this time across snow with Vincent and Nanaki. The four of them striding into a church, an indignant cleric performing a marriage ceremony. Jenova fighting harder, then reeling back at the final kiss. A golden shell surrounding Aeris and Sephiroth. Wings of brown and red springing from Aeris, a single, silvery white wing from Sephiroth. Light of different colors dancing in the air._

_Sephiroth smiling tenderly down at Aeris, holding her close in his arms in bed, in a dark room lit only by a fire. She wakes, happily curling closer to him. He strokes her hair, a strange combination of love, desire, and disbelief at his fortune written across his face._

*****

The visions ended, leaving the two men breathless. The Lifestream spun back into the ground without a sound.

_There, _said the Planet, _Should help convince him. Rest is up to you._

_Thank you, my friend, _Sephiroth thought gratefully. He looked at Cloud. "Well?"

The younger man looked ruefully at him. "Are we back at the beginning with this well' stuff?" He was bent double, catching his breath, hands on his knees as though he'd just run twenty miles. "Because I don't want to go through all that again."

"Fair enough. What do you think now? Though I think the Planet showed you more than I would have."

Cloud straightened. "I still don't like you, but,"

"But what?"

"Iokay. Fine. You were chosen by the Planet. I can't change that. Aeris loves you, it's pretty obvious that you love her. But I don't have to like it. I'm keeping an eye on you, General."

Sephiroth sighed. "Whatever you want. Just leave us in peace." He looked up at the stars again, noting that false dawn was near. "We had better get back inside. I am starting to get cold."

Cloud waited a moment as Sephiroth began walking away. "I'm still going to protect her!" he called.

"Do whatever you want, Strife," Sephiroth repeated, "So long as you do not interfere with my marriage. Keep reminding yourself that she is my wife, not yours. Do that, and we will be able to coexist." The silver-haired man sounded weary. "Now, are you coming back to the inn or not? The others will wonder where we are if we are gone much longer."

"I'm coming," replied Cloud Strife, thinking, _Just watch yourself, General Sephiroth. This isn't finished between us. If Aeris gets hurt, you will pay with your life._

_I'll see to it personally._


	23. Epilogue

Epilogue

Sephiroth carefully closed the door of his room, hoping not to wake Aeris. A sleepy voice from under the blankets asked him where he'd been, and he knew she had been waiting for him. With a tired sigh, he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off his boots. He looked down at her, stroking a finger down the side of her face.

"I was out talking to Cloud." At her alarmed look, he smiled reassuringly and bent to kiss her. "Do not worry, love. I think, perhaps, we have reached an understanding. He does not like me, nor do I believe he will ever like me, but he seems to have accepted the situation."

She sat up, clutching the sheet in front of her. "You don't think he'll try to attack you again, do you?" The fear and sadness in her eyes spoke volumes. He silently cursed Cloud for making this more difficult for her.

"No, love, I do not think so." He unfastened his coat and tossed it to the chair. Swinging his legs up onto the bed, he lay on top of the blankets beside her. He propped himself up on one arm to lean over her, cupping her face in his other hand. "You are so very beautiful."

"So are you." She moved closer to him, then yelped when she touched his chest. "You're freezing!"

He chuckled. "That is what happens when one walks about in the cold."

"Then let me help you warm up," she smiled, pulling him down.

*****

The Planet dreamed.

There was a place like Inside, yet an Inside where no living person could go, a crossroads in the dreams of two entities that were part of each other, yet separate. Amidst the quiet blues of the Planet's consciousness and the fiery greens of the Lifestream, a vision arose of two people, ancient souls of great power.

"Planet," they said, "We are ready."

The Lifestream flared. _So soon?_ It asked. _Certain you should not wait further?_

One of them, the female, smiled serenely. "It is past time. We have been waiting to come back together. This is our chance; the timing is perfect."

The male grinned at her. "The situation is perfect."

_They are ready, _the Planet said, effectively cutting short any argument the Lifestream had about giving up two of its most cherished souls. _Will be needed, very soon._

Twining a wisp of green Lifestream about her fingers tenderly, the female said, "Dear Friends, do not mourn our loss. We are to be born anew."

The male went to her side and put a hand on her shoulder. "We will return again someday. You won't even notice we're gone."

_Will still miss you, _the Lifestream sighed. _All Cetra love you. Will not be same until you return._

A third form materialized before them. "Ancestors, you honor me," she said, bowing.

The female moved to embrace her. "Oh, Ifalna, it is our honor to be reborn as your grandchildren. Your difficult journey and sacrifice will be rewarded. The moment you gave up your life to see your daughter to safety, I knew that great things would come of it."

The male nodded. "I feel better knowing that you will be our guide as we relearn how to live." He felt the atmosphere change, and a mixture of excitement and nervousness came over him. "Sister, it's time."

She smiled at Ifalna, suddenly happy and apprehensive as well. "I cannot believe it. I have waited for so long for this!" She took her brother's hand and breathed deeply. "Farewell, Ifalna!"

"Watch over us, Dear Friends!" called her brother, closing his eyes. Mischeivously, he cried, "And hello Father!" His sister laughed merrily.

First he, then she faded from view, as though they had not been standing there moments ago. Ifalna hugged herself in joy. To herself, she thought, _Oh, Aeris, my daughter, who would have known? You'll need my guidance as well, to handle those two. Not to mention how much you'll have to teach your husband._

_Ifalna, coming? _The Lifestream's voice came softly.

_Yes, I am done here. _She sighed happily as its delicate tendrils surrounded her, comforting and supporting her, and soon the woman and the green glow were gone.

The Planet woke, and began to sing.

*****

In the early morning gloom, just as the sun rose, Sephiroth and Aeris lay in each other's arms. The fire had long since died away to embers, but neither of them felt the cold on their heated skin. They laughed together, Aeris gasping for breath as her husband nuzzled her ear, clasping her against him.

Suddenly, she lay very still. Her hands gripped his arms, and a strange expression crossed her face.

"What is it?" he asked, becoming concerned. He had felton the edge of his mind. A faint call, or agreeting?

"Something is different," she breathed, closing her eyes. She turned her thoughts inward, seeking in her soul for the change.

The Planet's music flooded her senses. Aeris had a hard time understanding what it was trying to say, and she had to sort through the wild joy to find the central message. When she did, her eyes snapped open to find Sephiroth looking worriedly down at her. _Gods and Planet both, _she thought, _I love him so much._

"Are you all right?" he asked, searching her face with his brilliant stare. To his surprise, she burst into tears and threw her arms about his neck. "Aeris, love, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she sobbed, "Everything's right." She laughed through her tears at his expression. "There are two. Two children. Twins."

She watched the realization dawn on his face, the worry being replaced by astonishment, and then joy. "Children? Ours?" he gasped.

_Two children, _came the Planet's voices, _Two very old souls. Very good._

"But when?" he asked, still in shock.

Aeris giggled, kissing him. "Just now."

Heat surged through him, burning away everything except the desire to be closer to her. He pulled her tightly into his arms, turning her light kiss into a more fervent meeting of their lips. His mind picked up the music that reeled forth from the Planet and was lost in it.

_I love you I love you I love you Aeris_

_Oh I love you I love you my Sephiroth my husband_

They made love again as the sun rose.

~~fin~~

*****

A very long Author's Note:

So, here's the last chapter. I know it's not very long, but it wanted to end here. Who am I to tell the story to go further than it wants to?

I hope you leave me a little review when you're done so I can see if you liked the story, if you didn't, whatever. I feel like I know some of you personally! Remember that I LOVE to get email from people about this story. My new address is chocobogoddess@hotmail.com, so please use that when contacting me. Also remember that I keep an email list of people who are interested in NWtbA and updates, so if you'd like to be included, please email me at the above address.

The Chocobo Goddess web page will be up soon, thanks to some help from my friends. This story and others will be posted there. I also did some drawings to go along with most of the chapters, so they'll show up there as well.

I warned you this was nearly done. Now it's truly done. I'm taking a break.

Chocobo Goddess

*wark*

PS: Many thanks to Aloria, Miras_Dragonfly, Lovely Lucrecia, aer_seph4eva, Chibi Taryn Demon, and everyone else (and I mean EVERYONE else) for all the MULTIPLE reviews & emails. I can't believe this went as far as it did!! You guys are the best! *MEGA WARK*


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